A bill that would dramatically change how juvenile offenders are sentenced has been approved by a state senate committee.
The measure would allow judges to reduce “life without parole” sentences of some youth offenders.
Capital Public Radio's Steve Shadley reports…
Democratic State Senator Leland Yee of San Francisco says his measure would give juvenile offenders a chance at parole after they’ve served at least ten years of their sentence with good behavior…
“Now as an adult do they have the faculty, do they have the reasoning to control themselves and live a productive life in society…”
Yee also is a child psychologist. He says a lot of young people involved in crime act on impulse and aren’t yet fully aware that their behavior is bad. Maggie Elvey of Sacramento opposes the measure known as Senate Bill 399. Her husband was killed by a 15 year old boy during a robbery at his gun store in Vista, California in 1993…
“Senate bill 399 is just a ploy to get juvenile killers back on the street. The juveniles that receive life without parole have committed the most brutal, heinous crimes. They don’t need to be out…”
The bill now goes to another senate committee where a vote is expected within the next few weeks.