Keweenaw Report Your Source for Local News and Sports
A Michigan House committee has begun the daunting task of sifting through a 20 bill package of juvenile justice reforms.
Toni Bunton was one of a number of people who testified in favor of the bills. She was charged as an adult when she was 17 and sent to an adult prison where she says she was abused for years.
The backbone of the package is increasing the age someone can be charged as an adult for some crimes, from 17 years old to 18 years old.
Lieutenant Tom Cremonte runs the jail in Livingston County and opposes the bill package, even though he says it would take some pressure off his facility because it would reduce the jail population.
He says plenty of juvenile offenders have committed heinous crimes and deserve to be charged as adults.
The committee will take more testimony next week. A vote on the bill package isn’t expected until 2016.
