{"id":33904,"date":"2022-07-18T12:12:38","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T12:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/?p=33904"},"modified":"2022-07-18T12:12:38","modified_gmt":"2022-07-18T12:12:38","slug":"kids-being-kids-task-force-to-study-raising-minimum-age-for-juvenile-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/18\/kids-being-kids-task-force-to-study-raising-minimum-age-for-juvenile-court\/","title":{"rendered":"Kids being kids? Task force to study raising minimum age for juvenile court"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<\/p>\n<div id=\"dataContent\">\n<p>A task force made up of youth mental health providers, victims\u2019 services organizations, state lawmakers and members of law enforcement will soon begin meeting twice a month.<\/p>\n<p>Progressive state lawmakers and advocates hope it\u2019s the first step in changing how the state responds to Colorado kids who act out.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, children can enter the juvenile justice system starting at age 10. The Pre-Adolescent Services Task Force, created through 2022 legislation, will study potential effects of raising the minimum age to 13, including the barriers to services for young people, their families and victims that could be created if those services are no longer ordered by a court.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur coalition doesn\u2019t believe that 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds \u2014 which are elementary school-aged kids and sixth graders \u2014 that they should be arrested, prosecuted, adjudicated and detained,\u201d said state Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, lead sponsor on <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/leg.colorado.gov\/bills\/hb22-1131\" rel=\"noopener\">House Bill 22-1131<\/a>, the impetus for the task force. \u201cThe majority of the behaviors that they\u2019re engaging in that result in charges are \u2026 typical behaviors that most kids go through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>    <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/coloradonewsline.com\/subscribe\" style=\"text-decoration:none;\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"subscribeShortcodeContainer\">\n<div class=\"subscribeTextContainer\">\n\t\t\t<i class=\"fas fa-envelope\"\/><\/p>\n<p>GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n            <button>SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <\/a><\/p>\n<p>The sponsors of HB-1131 \u2014 Gonzales-Gutierrez, Rep. Jennifer Bacon and Sen. Julie Gonzales, all Democrats from Denver \u2014 wanted their bill to raise the minimum age for Colorado juvenile court jurisdiction from 10 to 13, without the need for a task force to deliberate. But district attorneys, local governments and others argued that policy was poorly thought out, ignored the victims of serious crimes committed by preteens, and would prevent families from accessing services through the justice system.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you remove that jurisdiction, you\u2019re removing the supports (for youth and their families), you\u2019re removing the protection for victims, and there hasn\u2019t been the conversation \u2014 the proper conversation \u2014 by the stakeholders that need to be involved in this decision and the state,\u201d Arnold Hanuman, deputy executive director for the Colorado District Attorneys\u2019 Council, told Newsline in March.<\/p>\n<p>The protests proved fruitful: An amendment passed during House debate scrubbed the policy change from the legislation and replaced it with a task force to study the services available to families through the juvenile justice system and the gaps in services that would be created by raising the minimum age, and ways the state could bridge those gaps for families \u2014 helping them to still access medical and mental health care, tutoring, vocational training and other programs available to \u201ccommitted\u201d youth. The task force must also look at ways that raising the minimum age for juvenile prosecution would affect victims of 10- to 12-year-olds.<\/p>\n<p>Even after the change, groups including the District Attorneys\u2019 Council were vehemently opposed to the idea of forming a new task force to study those issues. District attorneys pushed for the task force to be created within an existing body, the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, that\u2019s worked on past policies including sentencing reform.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo other body should be tasked with the difficulty of determining who is going to provide quality Sex Offender Management Board-certified treatment for the 1,430 10- to 12-year-olds who committed felony sexual offenses between 2010 and 2020,\u201d Jessica Dotter, sexual assault resource prosecutor at the Colorado District Attorneys Council, told the Senate Judiciary Committee in May.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors lost the fight to create the task force under the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, despite vocal support for that idea from Republicans, who are in the minority in the House and Senate and almost all of whom ultimately voted against HB-1131. But district attorneys and their allies in the Legislature earned a nod from Gov. Jared Polis, who in a signing statement on HB-1131 said: \u201cI fully respect the CCJJ and believe that this group is doing important work.\u201d Polis, a Democrat, noted that he would \u201ccontinue to encourage criminal justice reform policies to move through CCJJ.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The legislative fight around HB-1131 is one example of how election-year rhetoric around rising crime put a damper on some progressive efforts toward reform. Those tensions are sure to underscore the task force\u2019s work over the next several months and strain future efforts to raise the minimum age of juvenile jurisdiction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a matter of politics, Republicans really made this issue of public safety,\u201d Bacon told Newsline. \u201cThey really want it to be a campaign platform this session, and I think a lot of folks including the governor either are leery of that or have taken an opportunity to lean into that. \u2026 This bill had nothing to do with our belief and faith in CCJJ, and because I think district attorneys and in particular those who kind of lead that space really love that committee, they then made it about CCJJ.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In his June 7 <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1BZwzYU1KZJ1PkWwi1tuV1ShedKLi3Waf\/view\" rel=\"noopener\">signing statement<\/a>, Polis wrote that he deeply appreciated the sponsors\u2019 \u201ccollaborative work on this bill, which was pared down from policy changes to a taskforce after hearing concerns from stakeholders.\u201d The stakeholders the governor referred to likely included the District Attorneys\u2019 Council as well as the Colorado Municipal Judges Association, Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police, County Sheriffs of Colorado and Colorado Rural Schools Alliance, all of whom opposed the bill even after the rewrite.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23464\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:2560px;\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/coloradonewsline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Bridges-Bacon-Polis_4.21.22-scaled.jpg\" data-slb-active=\"1\" data-slb-asset=\"1083885621\" data-slb-internal=\"0\" data-slb-group=\"22901\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-23464 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/coloradonewsline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Bridges-Bacon-Polis_4.21.22-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Bridges Bacon Polis\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1787\" srcset=\"https:\/\/coloradonewsline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Bridges-Bacon-Polis_4.21.22-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/coloradonewsline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Bridges-Bacon-Polis_4.21.22-300x209.jpg 300w, https:\/\/coloradonewsline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Bridges-Bacon-Polis_4.21.22-1024x715.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/coloradonewsline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Bridges-Bacon-Polis_4.21.22-150x105.jpg 150w, https:\/\/coloradonewsline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Bridges-Bacon-Polis_4.21.22-768x536.jpg 768w, https:\/\/coloradonewsline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Bridges-Bacon-Polis_4.21.22-1536x1072.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/coloradonewsline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Bridges-Bacon-Polis_4.21.22-2048x1429.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><i class=\"fas fa-camera\"\/>  Sen. Jeff Bridges, left, and Rep. Jennifer Bacon joined Gov. Jared Polis at the signing ceremony for House Bill 22-1049 on April 21, 2022, at Polis\u2019 Denver office. (Faith Miller\/Colorado Newsline)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4 class=\"editorialSubhed\">Connecting kids to services<\/h4>\n<p>In prior legislative sessions, Gonzales-Gutierrez has championed bills on housing, criminal justice reform and immigrant rights. But 2022 would be the year she\u2019d focus on making \u201ctransformational\u201d change for Colorado children, she decided \u2014 kids like those she\u2019s served over her 18-year career as a social worker.<\/p>\n<p>Gonzales-Gutierrez\u2019s first job out of college was as a staff member at an all-female juvenile detention facility run by the Division of Youth Services. She said she was struck by how many of the young people there \u201chad actually been sexually abused or physically abused in their life as a child before getting to this point of being committed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Later, she worked as a case worker in the Denver Department of Human Services and now directs Denver\u2019s Collaborative Management Program, which connects agencies and services for at-risk children, youth and families involved in the criminal or juvenile justice systems. Throughout her career, Gonzales-Gutierrez frequently heard from families who were told youth could only access services like case management or behavioral health treatment after being \u201ccommitted\u201d for breaking the law.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey would say, \u2018When my child was 9, 10, 11 years old, they were having these issues.\u2019 And maybe they were behavioral health issues, right, or maybe it was a traumatic experience,\u201d Gonzales-Gutierrez recalled. \u201cThey said, \u2018My kid was having issues. However, I was told that my kid had to get into trouble in order to access services.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ironically, she noted, such programs aren\u2019t administered by the juvenile courts, but the Department of Human Services \u2014\u00a0though a court might order DHS to get involved with a child\u2019s case.<\/p>\n<p>She was disappointed by the opposition to HB-1131 from law enforcement, public school administrators and others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s a secret that running certain policies can be tough in an election year, and it doesn\u2019t matter what side of the aisle you\u2019re on,\u201d she said. \u201cI really thought that when we\u2019re talking about kids, and we\u2019re talking about literally children, that it would be a no-brainer for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Proponents of the bill also argued that when children end up in the system, it\u2019s usually because they\u2019re victims themselves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was really disheartening to see people say (during debate) that the only thing a child could be with these types of crimes is a criminal,\u201d Bacon, a former Denver Public Schools Board of Education member, reflected. \u201cIf any of us said a 10-year-old, god forbid, raped another child, all of us would be like, \u2018What happened to that 10-year-old?&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"editorialSubhed\">Task force or commission?<\/h4>\n<p>For its part, the District Attorneys\u2019 Council said the sponsors didn\u2019t fully examine the issues involved with raising the minimum age, and that they failed to bring groups on all sides of the issue into the same room to hash out their differences.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMerely just changing from 10 to 13 is a simple strike in the statute, but the impact across the entire system is significant,\u201d Hanuman said, naming young lawbreakers, victims and broader communities as examples of those affected. \u201cYou can\u2019t just make an age change and then expect everybody in the entire system to turn on a dime. It\u2019s a systemic change.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\" newsroomBlockQuoteContainer  \">\n<div class=\"newsroomBlockQuoteQuoteContainer\">\n<p class=\"newsroomBlockQuote \">What comes along with getting arrested for a kid is somewhat similar to what happens when an adult gets arrested &#8230; If a kid gets detained, they\u2019re getting strip-searched, and if they\u2019re getting arrested, they\u2019re getting handcuffed &#8230; And so you can imagine a 10-year-old, fourth or fifth grader, having to go through that process.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"newsroomBlockQuoteAuthorContainer\">\n<p style=\"font-size:13px\"><b>\u2013 Sen. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez<\/b><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Even after the introduced version of HB-1131 was scrapped and replaced by a task force, district attorneys opposed the idea, seeking instead for the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice to study the issue. But Gonzales-Gutierrez argued that the powerful Department of Public Safety commission, on which she serves, doesn\u2019t have adequate expertise on issues involving youth. She and the other bill sponsors wanted the task force to instead be formed as a separate entity under DHS.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCCJJ doesn\u2019t have the expertise in working with children or youth,\u201d Gonzales-Gutierrez said, \u201ceven though \u2026 juvenile justice is in the name, I\u2019m a current member right now of CCJJ and I\u2019m like, maybe one of three or four that have expertise in working with youth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The commission was formed through 2007 legislation to bring together diverse voices that would comprehensively examine controversial policy changes. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ccjj.colorado.gov\/ccjj-members\" rel=\"noopener\">It includes<\/a> the Department of Public Safety\u2019s executive director; the Department of Human Services\u2019 designee; and representatives of criminal defense lawyers, people involved in the justice system, victim rights organizations and sheriffs, to name a few. The commission can also invite members of the public to participate on task forces.<\/p>\n<p>During the bill\u2019s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Colorado District Attorneys\u2019 Council Executive Director Tom Raynes described the idea that the commission is unbalanced as \u201cmisinformation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe CCJJ is specifically designed to create task forces, working groups, study groups, with subject matter experts that are selected by those interested in the topic,\u201d Raynes said.<\/p>\n<p>Another reason sponsors didn\u2019t want the bill to go to the commission: The people calling for that \u2014\u00a0prosecutors \u2014\u00a0were the same people who had opposed raising the minimum age, warning that would mean sexual assaults and murders going unpunished.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can\u2019t openly say how much you hate this and you think every kid is a criminal and then advocate that we give\u201d the issue to CCJJ, Bacon said.<\/p>\n<p>Hanuman calls that a \u201csimplistic argument.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe CCJJ is a multi-member task force, and our objection as an organization is just one voice,\u201d he said. \u201cOur objection was that the conversation about this policy change did not happen, did not get debated, and that\u2019s where CCJJ is the venue to allow that conversation to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"editorialSubhed\">Other states mull minimum age<\/h4>\n<p>During the legislative process, district attorneys pointed out that Colorado is far from an outlier in terms of minimum age of juvenile prosecution. There are 23 states with no minimum age, according to a memo submitted as <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/leg.colorado.gov\/content\/db9d66841e2890cc872587ec0001355c-hearing-summary\" rel=\"noopener\">written testimony<\/a> on HB-1131 by the office of 18th Judicial District Attorney John Kellner. Colorado is one of 15 states with a minimum age of 10.<\/p>\n<p>But the National Center for Youth Law began working with Gonzales-Gutierrez, Bacon and Gonzales on HB-1131 in a climate of change. Recently, a handful of states including New Hampshire, Massachusetts, California, Utah, Delaware and New York have successfully \u201craised the floor\u201d of their jurisdiction by increasing the minimum age, said Dafna Gozani, a senior policy attorney with the Center for Youth Law. Those states have a minimum age of 12 for most crimes, according to the 18th Judicial District memo.<\/p>\n<p>Long-term research shows the juvenile justice system leads to \u201cpoor outcomes\u201d for young people throughout their childhood and adult lives, Gozani said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThose (outcomes) include increased likelihood to enter the criminal justice system as an adult,\u201d she told Newsline. \u201cIt also has impacts, long-term impacts, on adult health outcomes, and we also see some really stark statistics around what it means for the education trajectory of a young person and their decreased likelihood to be able to graduate high school.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, Gozani argued, kids are getting arrested for behavior that\u2019s a response to trauma, or that doesn\u2019t warrant a police response at all.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of what we see is low-level behavior,\u201d Gozani said, \u201cso you\u2019re talking about a kid, like, (marking) up the wall with a Sharpie, and then getting a ticket and having to go to court. \u2026 That requires a sit down and a brush and pail of water and cleaning it up, and doing things like restorative justice, where young people can learn about accountability, how to repair the harms they\u2019ve created.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/leg.colorado.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/2022A\/bills\/fn\/2022a_hb1131_00.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\">fiscal analysis<\/a> of HB-1131 by nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff used the five-year average of cases involving children ages 10 through 12. Under the introduced version of HB-1131, the analysis estimated that trial courts would see three fewer felony cases, 446 juvenile delinquency cases, 64 fewer misdemeanor cases and 10 fewer traffic cases each year; and there would be 177 fewer 10- to 12-year-olds sentenced to probation each year. <\/p>\n<p>In many cases, the kids in that age group are \u201celementary school-aged kids and sixth graders,\u201d Gonzales-Gutierrez pointed out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat comes along with getting arrested for a kid is somewhat similar to what happens when an adult gets arrested,\u201d she said. \u201cIf a kid gets detained, they\u2019re getting strip-searched, and if they\u2019re getting arrested, they\u2019re getting handcuffed \u2026 They\u2019re being asked very invasive questions. And so you can imagine a 10-year-old, fourth or fifth grader, having to go through that process. And they\u2019re not doing it alongside their parent \u2014 unless they\u2019re being questioned \u2014 but if they are going into detention, their parent is not with them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The juvenile justice system also has disproportionate effects on kids of color and their families. While data collection problems make it difficult to see the rates of justice system involvement for Latino youth, who are often recorded as white, probation officers and other people involved in the system anecdotally recognize Latino kids are more likely to be arrested and detained than their white counterparts, Gozani said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe do see a very clear disparity for Black youth in Colorado,\u201d she added. \u201cThat is particularly concerning, I think, and it\u2019s something that is unfortunately pretty pervasive in the justice system.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other groups that supported HB-1131 from the start included the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, Colorado Youth Justice Collaborative and Healthier Colorado.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"editorialSubhed\">What comes next?<\/h4>\n<p>HB-1131 creates the Pre-Adolescent Services Task Force within the Department of Human Services. The bill\u2019s proponents hope it will help to answer a controversial question: How young is too young for kids to enter the justice system? Currently, kids can be adjudicated for breaking the law starting at age 10, but the task force will study the potential effects of raising the minimum age to 13, including the new barriers to services for young people, their families and victims.<\/p>\n<p>But to some, Polis\u2019 signing statement signaled opposition to the idea that any policy recommendations could come out of the task force.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is important to me that the purview of the pre-adolescent services taskforce is to review services that are currently and could be provided to the 10 to thirteen year old population,\u201d Polis wrote. \u201cMy understanding and intent is that this taskforce does not make recommendations regarding <em>whether<\/em> ten to thirteen year olds should be charged, but should instead do the important work of identifying services related to this population. This information will be helpful to the CCJJ as it completes its work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hanuman views that as an explicit directive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe task force\u2019s work is constrained just to the identification of services, and not to the policy conversation and decision about whether a change should be made,\u201d he said. Hanuman also believes the governor\u2019s statement signaled that CCJJ would need to look at the issue before he could support legislation to raise the minimum age.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCCJJ is the appropriate venue to do the policy conversation about that issue,\u201d Hanuman said. \u201cThat\u2019s separate from what the task force is doing. The task force is looking at a service gap issue, which is what we\u2019ve identified all along has to happen. The policy conversation needs to happen in a different context, and that\u2019s for CCJJ to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Office of Children, Youth and Families within DHS accepted applications to serve on the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cdhs.colorado.gov\/pre-adolescent-services-task-force\" rel=\"noopener\">Pre-Adolescent Services Task Force<\/a> through July 1. Members of the task force have not been formally announced, though Gonzales-Gutierrez said she plans to serve, and Hanuman said CDAC will appoint a representative with expertise in juvenile diversion programs.<\/p>\n<p>The task force must include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A representative with experience treating youth who have participated in problematic sexual behavior<\/li>\n<li>A representative from a community-based organization that provides services to children who are victims of crimes<\/li>\n<li>A representative from a community-based organization that serves sexual assault victims<\/li>\n<li>A representative with experience providing pediatric mental and behavioral health services<\/li>\n<li>A pediatrician or pediatric clinician<\/li>\n<li>A representative of a nonprofit that provides legal services to children ages 10 through 12<\/li>\n<li>Two representatives from community organizations or nonprofits that provide evidence-based or promising, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed services to juveniles<\/li>\n<li>Three representatives who experienced incarceration, homelessness, or out-of-home placement as a young person; or who are the parent or legal guardian of a child who has experienced incarceration, homelessness or out-of-home placement<\/li>\n<li>Four state lawmakers appointed by Democratic and Republican leaders, two from each party<\/li>\n<li>A representative of the Division of Criminal Justice<\/li>\n<li>A representative of a law enforcement agency, appointed by the County Sheriffs of Colorado<\/li>\n<li>A representative from a district attorney\u2019s office, appointed by the Colorado District Attorneys\u2019 Council<\/li>\n<li>A representative from the Office of the State Public Defender or Office of Alternative Defense Counsel, appointed by the state public defender<\/li>\n<li>A representative with experience providing probation services and supervision to young people<\/li>\n<li>The director of the Office of the Child\u2019s Representative or their designee<\/li>\n<li>The director of the Office of the Respondent Parent\u2019s Counsel or their designee<\/li>\n<li>A representative of the Division of Child Welfare, appointed by the director of the Office of Children, Youth and Families<\/li>\n<li>A representative of the Behavioral Health Administration, appointed by the executive director of DHS<\/li>\n<li>Two representatives from public schools or school districts, appointed by the Commissioner of Education<\/li>\n<li>A representative of a local collaborative management program, appointed by the Collaborative Management Program Statewide Steering Committee<\/li>\n<li>A representative from a local juvenile services planning committee, appointed by the Colorado Youth Detention Continuum Advisory Board<\/li>\n<li>A representative from the Restorative Justice Coordinating Council, appointed by the council<\/li>\n<li>The executive director of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing or their designee<\/li>\n<li>Two representatives from county departments of human services, appointed by the executive director of DHS<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The task force\u2019s members must meet at least twice a month from August through December and report on their findings and recommendations by Dec. 30.<\/p>\n<p>Bacon said she hoped that during future discussions around minimum age, legislators would be more willing to think outside of the box when it comes to justice issues. She brought up the 1993 comedy film \u201cThe Sandlot,\u201d which features kids in the 1960s \u201cjumping over fences and trying to steal things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was a point in time when kids could be kids,\u201d Bacon said. \u201cAll of those kids could be charged with a crime these days. \u2026 We\u2019re not saying that any of these problems aren\u2019t real. But if there\u2019s any point in time that we could have a touchpoint with someone that would change their trajectory, it\u2019s when they\u2019re 9, 10 and 11 years old. Our kids are worth it, you know? Our kids are worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>    <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/coloradonewsline.com\/donate\" style=\"text-decoration:none;\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradonewsline.com\/2022\/07\/18\/kids-being-kids-task-force-study-lowering-minimum-age-juvenile-court\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] A task force made up of youth mental health providers, victims\u2019 services organizations, state&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-cj-system"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33904"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33906,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33904\/revisions\/33906"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}