(KALB) – With the passage of Senate Bill 2 by the Louisiana Legislature, the Southern Poverty Law Center is speaking out against the bill, urging Louisiana voters to “reject it at the ballot box.”

The SPLC sent this statement to KALB:

“Children must be treated differently from adults. The Louisiana Legislature has chosen a path that ignores decades of evidence demonstrating that rehabilitative approaches to juvenile justice lead to better outcomes for children and public safety.

This decision fails our children and our communities. Instead of investing in solutions that address the root causes of juvenile delinquency, Senate Bill 2 strengthens punitive measures that increase recidivism and perpetuate cycles of injustice.

The SPLC strongly opposes this harmful measure and urges Louisiana voters to reject it at the ballot box.

SB2 passed the state Senate with a vote of 28-9, followed by a slim 70-25 vote to send the bill out of both chambers.

RELATED: House passes bill that could expand a court’s ability to send juveniles to adult prisons

The measure would allow lawmakers to create new laws to expand a court’s ability to send juveniles to adult prisons and expunge limited offenses.

Voters will now approve or deny passage of the bill in the March 29, 2025 election, since SB2 is a constitutional amendment and must be voted on by the people, according to state law.

Click here to report a typo. Please provide the article title in your email.

Copyright 2024 KALB. All rights reserved.