Bill > H1645

This bill proposes several key changes to juvenile offender law in Massachusetts: 1. It raises the age of juvenile jurisdiction from 18 to 19 for certain offenses. 2. It establishes new procedures and standards for determining juvenile competency to stand trial, including a rebuttable presumption of incompetence for juveniles under 13 and requirements for competency restoration services. 3. It requires the parole board to give substantial weight to diminished culpability and demonstrated maturity and rehabilitation when considering parole for juveniles convicted of murder, and sets new timelines for subsequent parole reviews. 4. It prohibits holding juveniles sentenced for murder in certain adult facilities prior to age 18 and requires the Department of Correction to provide access to programming regardless of the length of sentence. The overall effect is to provide additional protections and considerations for juvenile offenders, especially those charged with serious crimes like murder, while also establishing clearer standards and procedures around competency and parole eligibility.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H1645