Governor Pillen and Senators Introduce Juvenile Justice Reform Legislation/Opponents Respond

Senator Merv Riepe

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen joined state senators, county attorneys, and law enforcement officials to discuss legislation (LB 556) to fix Nebraska’s broken juvenile justice system. Senator Merv Riepe of Omaha introduced LB 556 at the request of the Governor. LB 556 was introduced in response to a dramatic rise in felonies committed by juveniles since 2017. In Douglas County alone, juvenile repeat offenders have increased by 1700% since 2017.

“Public safety is the highest calling of government,” said Gov. Pillen. “None of us in Nebraska want to come to the reality that we have young boys committing these violent acts. The reality is that there are violent and even deadly crimes being committed by juveniles as young as 11 and 12 years old. This is hard for us to comprehend in Nebraska. The officers and prosecutors here are seeing the impacts of it firsthand and to say it’s alarming is an understatement.”

LB 556 changes the criteria for detention to give greater authority to the courts to detain juveniles in a physically restrictive facility for the safety of the juvenile and the community. Furthermore, this legislation will require a court hearing to review juvenile placement unless waived by both parties and lower the minimum age at which a juvenile may be detained from age 13 to age 11.

For felony arrests of a juvenile, it requires a judge, in consultation with a probation officer, to make a determination about detention. Finally, LB 556 will lower the age at which a juvenile can be charged as an adult for the most serious crimes (Class I, IA, IB, IC, ID, II and IIA felonies) from age 14 to age 12.

"This bill is not about punishment—it’s about protection: for our communities, our families, and the juveniles themselves,” said Senator Riepe. “By providing safe, secure detention options and empowering judges to make case-specific decisions, we can intervene early, prevent further harm, and offer meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation. Safety and accountability go hand-in-hand, ensuring a balanced approach that reduces crime and builds a safer future for all."

Speaking on the importance of addressing the spike in serious criminal offenses by juveniles, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine thanked Governor Pillen for prioritizing this commonsense legislation that will address public safety deficiencies within our current law dealing with juveniles committing very violent crimes. “I’ve seen and met with the victims of these crimes, and I’ve seen the impact it also has on that juvenile,” said Mr. Kleine. “We need better tools to address these issues. The judge will ultimately determine whether detention is appropriate. It’s about fairness, safety, and doing what’s right for the juvenile.”

Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson added his support for LB 556. "I would like to thank Governor Pillen and Senator Riepe for introducing this commonsense piece of legislation,” said Sheriff Aaron Hanson. “Since 2017's Juvenile Justice reform efforts, we have seen a 1700% increase in repeat juvenile offenders in Douglas County alone. Current law ties the hands of parents, probation officers, police, prosecutors, and judges when it comes to keeping the public and these offenders safe. This new legislation is a transformative step that will allow Law Enforcement to better protect the public and these juvenile offenders."

Opponents of LB556 speak out.
LINCOLN, NE – Advocacy groups will held a press conference to voice strong opposition to LB 556, a bill that would change the jurisdiction of juvenile and adult criminal courts to allow for criminal charging of 12-year-olds and secure detention for children as young as 11.   
 
“Let us be clear, LB 556 contemplates jailing and criminally prosecuting children who are still young enough to bring home a weekly spelling list.” said Juliet Summers, executive director of Voices for Children in Nebraska. “Under current law, the juvenile court has a broad spectrum of responses when children this young are acting in ways that scare us; from treatment and supervision to removal from home and residential placement. All this proposal would add is incarceration – a proposal as costly and wasteful as it is inhumane.”     

“This is a troubling and regressive move that fails to address the root causes of a child's behavior, particularly in children facing trauma, poverty, and unmet mental health needs.” said Shakur Abdullah, a community member previously charged and sentenced in criminal court at a young age. “Rather than investing in prevention, rehabilitation, and the crucial social and habilitative processes that have been shown to improve outcomes for at-risk children, this proposal doubles down on punitive measures that have long been proven to be ineffective in improving public safety or promoting long-term rehabilitation.” 

The coalition calls on lawmakers, advocates, and community members to join in opposing LB 556.  
“Kids who are in trouble need treatment and family interventions, not criminal charges. The idea of changing the law so that we can detain more kids and charge younger kids as adults runs counter to Nebraskans’ most important shared values.” Said Jason Witmer, policy fellow at the ACLU of Nebraska. “What happened to protecting kids and helping them get on the right path? Lawmakers have good options on the table to help keep kids out of the system in the first place, and they should focus their efforts there. Locking up younger kids will not do a thing to make our communities safer.”   

The groups urge Nebraska’s leaders to prioritize investments in prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation rather than punitive measures that disproportionately harm children and fail to create safer communities.