Advocates of juvenile justice are pushing for reform in the way minors are treated in the criminal justice system in Texas, according to an editorial on victoriaadvocate.com.
Experts are urging a rehabilitation program be established for juveniles in order for them to once again become productive members of society after having been exposed to crime. They go on to say that it is detrimental for that population to be placed within exposure of hardened adult criminals.
In its January report, the Texas House committee on criminal jurisprudence speculated that the 34% increase in felony rearrests for youths who were transferred to the adult system may have been due to the fact that young people internalize feelings of their identities as criminals. This occurrence spurred State Representative Gene Wu (Democrat of Houston), to craft a bill that seeks to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18. The committee report cited other states that have already raised the age of criminal responsibility to 18, including Illinois, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Mississippi, and New Hampshire.
Because juvenile crimes are still very harshly tried in Texas, it is advisable that you seek professional counsel as soon as possible as your freedom and your future may be at stake. Should you be charged with a criminal offense in Dallas or other areas in Texas, get in touch with our attorneys at the Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter by calling our offices at (214) 845-7007.
