Bill > S2424

This bill aims to improve outcomes for children and communities by promoting transparency and best practices within the juvenile justice system. Key provisions include requiring school resource officers to have specialized training in areas like child development and de-escalation, and establishing clear guidelines for when they can use traditional policing techniques like arrest, emphasizing that they should not be involved in routine school discipline for non-violent infractions. The bill also redefines "delinquent child" to exclude civil infractions and municipal ordinance violations, and lowers the age at which certain offenses can be considered for expungement (permanent erasure of records) to 11 years old, with specific criteria for eligibility and a requirement for courts to inform individuals of this right. Furthermore, it prohibits the use of involuntary room confinement for youth in the department of youth services as punishment, and mandates that juveniles should not be placed in restraints during court proceedings unless specific safety risks are identified and documented by the presiding judge. Finally, the bill establishes a juvenile justice data task force to recommend improvements for coordinating and modernizing data systems across state agencies and courts, and requires an assessment of youth status as a mitigating factor in legal proceedings.