States are examining their laws for trying children as adults for certain crimes. More than 20 states have reformed or are reforming their policies in the last five years, according to a Campaign for Youth Justice report released yesterday.
The report, "State Trends: Legislative Changes from 2005-2010 Removing Youth from the Adult Criminal Justice System," includes Mississippi as a state reforming it's laws. In 2010, Mississippi passed a law that will remove most 17-year-olds from the adult criminal courts. Under the new law, which goes into effect July 1 of this year, juveniles charged with felonies remain under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system.
"This law is a major victory for the people of Mississippi and for numerous community organizations that supported its enactment, including the Mississippi Coalition for the Prevention of Schoolhouse to Jailhouse, the NAACP, and Mississippi ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center," the report states.
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