Alaska State Legislature
News from the House Majority

Jerry Ritter, House Majority Press Release
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

House Passes Juvenile Crime Bill

New Resources to Deal with Increased Frequency and Severity of Crimes

For Immediate Release: March 31, 1998 Contact: Rep. Pete Kelly at (907) 465-2327.

Juneau -- The Alaska House of Representatives Tuesday unanimously passed House Bill 16, the Juvenile Crime Bill. After the vote, House Speaker Gail Phillips (R-Homer) had praise for everyone involved in the preparation and passage of the measure.

"I was gratified by the bipartisan nature of the passage and I want to especially thank the members of the House Minority and the Administration for their input," said Phillips. "Also, I cannot say enough good things about the bill's sponsor, Representative Pete Kelly, who has literally worked for years toward today's vote. Protecting Alaska's children has always been a priority of the Majority's Commitment to Alaska, and I'm very pleased to see this bill pass," Phillips said.

"Alaskans are more concerned that ever about the increasing severity and frequency of youth crimes, especially among younger children," said Representative Kelly (R-Fairbanks). "House Bill 16 recognizes that juvenile crime is a community problem and it's the communities that can provide the solutions."

House Bill 16 authorizes communities to get more involved with minor offenders. Communities may become involved in the intake process for juvenile offenders and they may take children to civil court for minor offenses.

"I is not so important that we have severe responses to serious crimes, but that we have some response to all crimes," Kelly said. "Freeing up communities to get involved in the process will allow us to react to youth early, when they commit less serious crimes and when they are more easily rehabilitated," Kelly said

HB 16 also brings additional resources to treat troubled youth, allowing the state to authorize and license semi-secure and secure residential treatment facilities for minors. "We know that far too many of the kids in our youth delinquency facilities have mild-to-serious mental health problems. It would be far better to treat these individuals in residential settings rather than in lock-down facilities with the worst of our juvenile offenders," Kelly said.

"Minors with alcohol or substance addictions, Attention Deficit Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and other treatable problems are all-too-often ignored until they commit a crime," Kelly said. "HB 16 patches the mesh in our safety net for troubled youth."

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Attachments: Detail sheet on HB 16

Broadcasters note: Actuality from Rep. Kelly is available by calling 1-800-478-6540.
= Pete Kelly, 70 K