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House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	August 31, 2020 01:59 PM
From:	Representative Liz Hanbidge
To:	All House members
Subject:	Reviewing Juvenile Cases

Each year, an estimated 250,000 children are prosecuted in adult criminal courts and subject to the consequences of adult criminal conviction. In addition, 36 states continue to incarcerate youth in adult jails and prisons, putting them at greater risk of mental health issues, physical and sexual assault, and recidivism.    My resolution urges district attorneys in Pennsylvania to recognize this and review juvenile cases with a focus on rehabilitation versus incarceration. Too many youth are incarcerated in prisons and jails throughout the country instead of being placed into rehabilitative programs and support systems.  By encouraging rehabilitation instead of incarceration, we can decrease the amount of youth taken from their families and instead help reduce the rates of juvenile crime and recidivism.   As legislators, it is our duty to recognize that the practice of incarcerating youth versus providing them with rehabilitative support does more harm than good. For the future our of children, please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation.

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