‘Raise the Age’ law rollback moves to Louisiana House. 17-year-old would move to adult prison. | Legislature

All but one of the Republican members present on a House committee voted Tuesday to end the “Raise the Age” law that keep 17-year-old arrestees from being imprisoned with adult convicts.

On a 6-5 vote, the House Committee for the Administration of Criminal Justice advanced for a full House vote Senate Bill 418, which the state Senate already has passed. “Raise the Age” law was approved with great fanfare allowing Louisiana to join 47 states that put most 17-year-old offenders in the juvenile justice system.

Sen. Stewart Cathey Jr., R-Monroe, said the legislation began as entreaties by District Attorney Tony Clayton, of Port Allen, and Attorney General Jeff Landry asking for help to do something with the “bad 17-years-olds.” Violence involving teenagers has increased dramatically since the “Raise the Age” law was passed into law, they say.

“This is a significant issue, a significant problem,” said Cathey, adding that he would continue working with prosecutors to get the timelines correct in the legislation. SB418 would apply to teenagers accused of a crime of violence.

State Rep. Marcus Bryant, D-New Iberia, pointed out that under the bill, children who have been arrested but not convicted would be put in cells with adults convicted of all sorts of crimes. Parish prisons often hold inmates convicted on felony charges. Bryant said 40% of the arrested are never charged.

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