Discussions on new law charging 17-year-olds as adults
ACADIA PARISH, La (KLFY) -- A new law where 17-year-olds will be charged as adults recently went into effect. With this new law, jails across the state may see changes in how they operate.
In Louisiana, the criminal system has just lowered the age of consideration of juveniles by passing a law in which 17-year-olds will prosecuted as adults.
Senate Bill 3 Act No. 13 went into effect earlier this month it states that 17-year-olds who commit crimes will no longer be prosecuted as juveniles, but as adults, and can be housed in jails with them. Acadia Parish Sheriff KP Gibson says there are pros and cons when it comes to discussing the new law and housing juveniles.
"A person fifteen to seventeen, if this crime of violence can be tried as an adult, if they or the grand jury indicted as an adult," said Gibson. "I really think that looking at is kind of that double edged sword is part of it, because of a crime, in part because of the housing issues that happened with that?"
Gibson says one of the main challenges he's seeing with this are the discussions on if juveniles should be charged as adults and housed with them or not.
"I really think the hardest topic is, you know, how people feel, you know, 18 years old, I can vote or I can do different things. I'm considered an adult in the non criminal world, but in the criminal world, I'm there. We see that the crime has escalated or at least grown a little bit in that age group," said Gibson.
Gibson explains despite the differing opinions, economically it's cheaper to house 17-year-olds in jails as opposed to detention centers.
"Well, housing a person inside of an adult facility, you know, it's not as expensive as going to juvenile detention costs upwards of $300 a day for a juvenile," Gibson added.
Also, Gibson says prior to the new law lowering the age of criminal consideration, a slight increase in the numbers of 17-year-olds committing crimes could be seen. He says the law and the effects it could have on juveniles and jails is a hot topic, but he believes juvenile crimes could decrease with more parental involvement.
"I would tell you this are several things that deter people from doing crimes. And it starts at home, number one, with mom and dad or whoever's raising a child."
The law went into effect April 19th and anyone 17 years or older will be prosecuted as an adult if they commit a crime.
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