SB 5597 - DIGEST

 

     Declares an intent:  (1) To help eliminate the underlying causes of the offenders' criminal behavior and to ensure public safety;

     (2) provide for a progression of interventions and consequences for delinquent behavior, including institution and community-based punishment and treatment that encourages the involvement of families, mental health, and other local and state children's services and educational agencies;

     (3) provide swift sanctions for juvenile criminal behavior;

     (4) enhance cross-system coordination and interdisciplinary approaches to reduce the risk factors for juvenile delinquency; and

     (5) ensure that racial and ethnic minority families are not disproportionately affected by the juvenile justice system.

     Declares that, to develop a plan of appropriate community interventions and rehabilitative services, all minor/first offenders must be provided family reconciliation services by the department pursuant to chapter 13.32A RCW including the involvement of a local multidisciplinary team as defined in RCW 13.32A.042, regardless of the sentencing option selected unless committed to the department.

     Requires that, for all minor/first offenders, whenever appropriate, the court shall require the department to file a child in need of services petition pursuant to RCW 13.32A.140; a dependency petition pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW; or a truancy petition pursuant to RCW 28A.225.030.

     Provides that, before sentencing, all middle offenders must be provided a needs and risk assessment to inform the court about the juvenile's need for rehabilitative services as well as the severity of the public safety risk presented by the offender.

     Requires that an individual accountability plan must be developed, based on the juvenile's needs and risk assessment, regardless of the sentencing option selected, and requires that sentences for all middle offenders must include a court-ordered individual accountability assessment that sets forth the goals of the juvenile's sentence and specific treatment and interventions ordered to reach those goals.

     Provides that all juveniles sentenced for rape in the first or second degree, rape of a child in the first or second degree, child molestation in the first degree, or indecent liberties with forcible compulsion, shall serve a twenty-four month period of community custody.