In the state of Texas, the juvenile justice system is said to administer rehabilitation to adolescents in their facilities, while simultaneously providing public safety to their communities. While being held in the detention center, some of the main objectives for incarcerated youth are assistance with treatment/needs, habilitation, and education. However, for the incarcerated youth that are outliers, these things can be increasingly challenging to obtain.

In the state of Texas, children between the ages of 10 years old and 17 years old can be sentenced to a juvenile detention center. As they are all adolescents, the entire age group is continuing to develop, however for the children between 10 to 12, most are experiencing physical maturation. Thus, housing this large span of children together in one facility for a multitude of offenses can be hazardous. Placing these children together in one classroom, cafeteria, recreational area, and or, pod can negatively impact the younger incarcerated youth.

With that, we introduce 87 (R) HB 1430: “Relating to the age of a child which a juvenile court may exercise jurisdiction over the child, to the age of criminal responsibility and to certain substantive and procedural matters related to those ages”. The repetition of this bill only further emphasizes the importance of this problem and the need for change.  Though this bill has been left pending in committee since March of 2021. 

This bill specifically states that any child (student or between the ages of 12-18) cannot be tried for crimes they committed during their adolescence.  It is imperative that this bill is passed considering that a child’s brain development is taken into account. We need your help in signing and spreading awareness. Our goal is to get this bill passed to the next phase!

If children are our future, we cannot let Juvenile Justice be forgotten!