BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP)– The state legislature’s Joint Committee on the Judiciary will be hearing testimony about proposed legislation that would end automatically prosecuting person aged 18- to 20- years old as adults.
A public hearing will be held to discuss the legislation “An Act to promote public safety and better outcomes for young adults,” (H.1710 and S. 942), on Tuesday, September 26 at 1pm in hearing room A-2 at the State House in Boston. The hearing is also available virtually via livestream.
The public is invited to participate in this hybrid hearing, which will also include AG Andrea Campbell experts on juvenile justice, law enforcement, and public safety, as well as from young people who have been impacted by the system.
According to supporters, the current system of automatic adult prosecution for 18- to 20-year-olds is a detriment to public safety, as this age group has the highest recidivism rate in the state, with a larger number of persons of color in this age group becoming jailed.
