By Kennedy Voss
The Missouri House gave final approval Thursday to a bill that would change the classifications of and punishments for juvenile offenders and mandate more time served before any felon is eligible for parole.
Sponsored by state Sen. Nick Schroer, a Republican from Defiance, the bill would classify older juveniles who commit crimes as adults and loosen fingerprinting privacy for minors.
It also allows counties to impose a 1% sales tax to allow for the construction of additional juvenile detention centers. Those centers can be located near regular jails as long as there is spatial separation to prevent mixing of those held, according to the bill.
The bill increases the percentage of time in a sentence that an inmate would serve before parole eligibility based on the severity of the crime. The new minimums:
Class A: 70%
Class B: 50%
Class C: 40%
Class D: 25%
Class E: 25%
State Rep. Brad Christ, a Republican from St. Louis County who handled the bill in the House, said that it will help juveniles, who are currently not being held after committing a crime and sometimes commit similar crimes on the same day.
“This system is not working for our youth,” Christ said. “Perpetual release, with no accountability and no rehabilitation.”
Opponents of the bill worry that the legislation was rushed. State Rep. David Tyson Smith, a Democrat from Columbia, voiced his frustrations with the quick passage of the bill.
“Why are we voting out bills this big that have such a huge magnitude on our criminal justice system, is going to impact so many for so long — in the middle of the night?” he asked.
The bill has seen a lot of quick action in the past week, which left some lawmakers upset as they were unable to fully read the 89-page bill. They also had frustrations about the unclear fiscal note, leaving lawmakers unsure how much this would cost Missourians.
Other opponents said this bill would negatively impact juvenile offenders.
“How do you treat (juvenile offenders), and how do we get them out to the other side and turn them into taxpayers, not tax takers?” said state Rep. Gregg Bush, a Columbia Democrat.
Supporters of the bill highlighted community and law enforcement safety as a result of keeping young criminals off the streets.
“Bottom line in this bill, if you want safe communities, justice for victims of the most heinous crimes, accountability, transparency, and you want to support safety of our law enforcement, you should hammer this yes button,” Christ said.
The bill passed 97-53. It will now go to the governor’s desk.
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