FINAL BILL REPORT

                 ESHB 1966

                         C 415 L 93

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Implementing juvenile justice racial disproportionality study recommendations.

By House Committee on Human Services (originally sponsored by Representatives Wineberry, Leonard, Appelwick, Foreman, Riley, Cooke, H. Myers, Lemmon, Basich, Kessler, Holm, J. Kohl and Anderson).

House Committee on Human Services

House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Law & Justice

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:  In the 1991 legislative session, the Legislature provided funding to study racial disproportionality in the juvenile justice system.  The study was presented to the Legislature in January 1993.  The study found that youth of color are less likely than white youth to be arrested but more likely to be:  referred to juvenile court, detained, not diverted, prosecuted, adjudicated, sentenced to confinement, and confined.  Of all youth of color, African American youth are the most likely to be referred to court, detained, not diverted, prosecuted, adjudicated guilty, sentenced to confinement, and confined.

Summary:  The administrator for the courts will develop a plan to improve data collection on juvenile offenders and submit the plan to the Office of Financial Management by September 15, 1993.  The administrator for the courts and the Criminal Justice Training Commission will prepare a curriculum related to ethnic and cultural diversity which will be available by October 1, 1993.  The administrator for the courts will prepare information describing juvenile laws and court procedures and make it available in language understood by all citizens.  Juvenile court administrators will obtain interpreters for all non-English speaking juveniles. Consolidated juvenile services funding to counties is conditioned on the county establishing detention standards.  The administrator for the courts will convene a work group to develop standards and guidelines for the prosecution of juvenile offenders, review any racial disproportionality in diversion and review any racial disproportionality in the use of detention.  The Juvenile Disposition Standards Commission will review current and proposed sentencing standards and guidelines for potential adverse impacts on racial and ethnic minority youth.  The implementation of the legislation is subject to the availability of funds.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  87 8

Senate 45 1 (Senate amended)

House  87 6 (House concurred)

Effective:  July 25, 1993