Second Chance Bill is Signed
July 22, 2019 4:12PM PDT
Portland Ore – Governor Kate Brown signed legislation that advocates are calling the most significant reform to hit the state’s juvenile justice system in a quarter-century. The law reverses tough-on-crime sentencing rules adopted in 1994. It means a judge will be able to decide if a juvenile 15 years of age and older should be tried as an adult for serious crimes like murder and kidnapping. Young offenders will also be eligible for a parole hearing after serving half their sentence.
