The study on juvenile justice will begin this week.

 

Fifteen legislators will consider and develop alternatives for the placement of juvenile offenders as part of the Study Committee on Juvenile Justice beginning this Thursday (6/16) at 9 a.m. (Central).

 

You can listen to the meeting here and view the agenda here.

 

Wednesday’s agenda includes presentations from three superintendents with Tom Culver of Avon and Matthew Yost of Wagner Community presenting the morning and Dr. Jane Stavem of Sioux Falls discussing the matter in the afternoon.

 

Surrounding those presentations include testimony from UJS State Court Administrator Greg Sattizahn, Staci Ackerman of the SD Sheriffs’ Association, Brookings County States Attorney Dan Nelson, Director of Juvenile Services, Department of Corrections Kristie Bunkers and representatives from the South Dakota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

 

In addition, the interim committee will take public testimony at approximately 1:30 p.m.

 

Continued debate on juvenile justice reform stems from the 2022 legislative session as Senate Bill 198 flip flopped between a version calling for a nearly full repeal of the current juvenile justice statute to an interim study of the statute and system without a compromise being reached before session ended. ASBSD supported both versions of SB 198.

 

For updates on the Juvenile Justice Interim Study, check the ASBSD blog, Twitter feed or Facebook page.