Raised Bill No. 387 Summary

• Establishes an administrative unit within the Department of Children and Families to oversee education for children in juvenile justice facilities and incarcerated children, with powers to employ staff, develop performance reports, and ensure access to credit recovery and high school equivalency programs.

• Requires transition specialists to facilitate successful transitions of children from communities to secure facilities and back to local educational programs, coordinating with schools and tracking educational credits.

• Expands the Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee membership to include representatives from multiple state agencies, child advocates, parents with juvenile justice involvement, and four community members under age 26 impacted by the system; members representing the community shall be reimbursed for meeting expenses including transportation and childcare.

• Revises racial profiling definitions and prohibitions to clarify that race or ethnicity can be used in combination with other identifying factors when apprehending specific suspects; requires police departments to adopt written policies prohibiting stops based on race, color, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual orientation.

• Requires police officers to refer children for first or second offenses of specified crimes to a community-based diversion system instead of arresting them, effective July 1, 2022 for some offenses and July 1, 2023 for additional offenses.