The new Georgia Juvenile Justice Code House Bill 242 passed the Senate unanimously on March 21, 2013. GA HB 242.
The Bill, which is expected to become effective on January 1, 2014, “incorporates many of the recommendations by the governor’s criminal justice reform council related to the juvenile justice system.” atlawblog 3/21/2013.
The Bill is intended to emphasize community resources for lower-risk juvenile offenders. It “is designed to send fewer juveniles to state facilities for committing felonies and to divert kids who are not dangerous — especially so-called status offenders such as truants, runaways and the unruly — into less expensive community-based programs.” AJC 3/21/2013.