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Governor Pillen and Senators Introduce Juvenile Justice Reform Legislation
LINCOLN, NE – Yesterday, Governor Jim Pillen and Senator Merv Riepe unveiled LB 556, a juvenile justice reform bill the senator introduced at the request of the Governor. Several state senators, county attorneys, and Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson were at the unveiling. LB 556 comes after a dramatic rise in youth crime since 2017. In Douglas County alone, the increase in juvenile re-offenders has increased 1700% since then.
“Public safety is the highest calling of government,” said Gov. Pillen. “None of us in Nebraska want to come to the reality that we have young boys committing extraordinary acts. The reality is that there are extraordinary and even deadly crimes being committed by even kids that are 11 and 12 years old. This is hard for us to comprehend in Nebraska. The officers and prosecutors here are seeing the impacts of it firsthand and to say it’s alarming is an understatement.”
For the safety of the community and juveniles themselves, LB 556 will give greater authority to the courts to detain juveniles in a physically restrictive facility. To detain the most violent young offenders, the bill lowers the minimum age at which a juvenile may be detained from age 13 to age 11. LB 556 also will lower the age at which a juvenile can be charged as an adult for the most serious crimes from age 14 to age 12 in order to ensure that we are detaining the worst young offenders.
"This bill is not about punishment—it’s about protection: for our communities, our families, and the juveniles themselves,” said Senator Riepe. ”By providing safe, secure detention options and empowering judges to make case-specific decisions, we can intervene early, prevent further harm, and offer meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation. Safety and accountability go hand-in-hand, ensuring a balanced approach that reduces crime and builds a safer future for all."
“Thank you to Governor Pillen for prioritizing this commonsense legislation that will address public safety deficiencies with our current law dealing with juveniles committing very violent crimes,” said Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine. “I’ve seen and met with the victims of these crimes, and I’ve seen the impact it also has on that juvenile. We need better tools to address these issues. The judge will ultimately determine detention. We just want the ability to detain young people. It’s about fairness, safety, and doing what’s right for the juvenile.”
"I would like to thank Governor Pillen and Senator Riepe for introducing this commonsense piece of legislation,” said Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson about the bill. “Since 2017's Juvenile Justice reform efforts we have seen a 1700% increase in repeat juvenile offenders in Douglas County alone, Current law ties the hands of parents, probation officers, police, prosecutors, and judges when it comes to keeping the public and these offenders safe. This new legislation is a transformative step that will allow Law Enforcement to better protect the public and these juvenile offenders."
Governor Jim Pillen
Senator Merv Riepe
Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson
Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine
