Bill > H1658

This bill enhances regulations surrounding electronic monitoring of juveniles by establishing several key protections and reporting requirements. First, if electronic monitoring is ordered for more than 30 days, the court must hold periodic hearings to ensure the monitoring is not unnecessarily prolonged, and must consider less restrictive alternatives that could achieve similar goals of bail and rehabilitation. The bill also introduces a credit system where juveniles receive one day of credit toward their maximum confinement term for each day they are subject to electronic monitoring. Additionally, the juvenile court department is required to collect and publicly report comprehensive annual data about electronic monitoring, including details such as the total number of days monitored, reasons for monitoring, case status, and specific restrictions. The data must be collected and reported in a manner that allows for detailed demographic analysis, considering factors like age, gender, race, ethnicity, and offense type, with an emphasis on self-reported demographic information. This approach aims to increase transparency, fairness, and understanding of how electronic monitoring is used with juvenile populations.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1658