Senate Bill 2282 will treat kids like kids and keep them from being locked up

JACKSON, Miss.-- Governor Tate Reeves has chosen to allow Senate Bill 2282 to become law without his signature.  It raises the minimum age for secure detention of juveniles from 10 to 12 years old.
 
The SPLC Action Fund supports this change in the law.  Children as young as 10 and 11 are the least likely to commit violent crimes compared to any other age group – even compared to senior citizens. But Mississippi still puts many children in “secure custody,” where they are locked up in a detention center similar to an adult jail cell. 
 
The following is a statement from Brandon Jones, policy director for the SPLC Action Fund in Mississippi. 
 
“We applaud the Mississippi Legislature for their work to raise the age for secure detention of Mississippi children. We know that children who are locked up in detention centers are far more likely to return to prison as adults compared to children who have been sent to non-secure confinement options like home monitoring. SB 2282 is a smart reform effort that makes recidivism less likely; increases the chances for successful rehabilitation; and help save the state money that can be better spent on other programs.”