juvenile justice

A man given a reprieve from a mandatory life without parole sentence for a murder he committed as a teenager now owes restitution to the victim’s family. That’s under a decision from the Michigan Supreme Court.

The measures — signed into law Thursday — take aim at reforming the state's juvenile justice system and correcting some of the critiques against it.

Michigan sentenced over 360 minors to life without parole — more than any state except Pennsylvania. Half of them have now been released and 90% have been resentenced, in most cases to a finite length of time.

Legislation was introduced in both the state House and Senate that would abolish life without parole for juveniles under 19 years old — aligning Michigan with the nearly decade-old national precedent.

Eligible applicants include nonprofits, private and public agencies, Native American tribes and universities – specifically in communities with 75,000 people or less.

The new contract model comes in the wake of a statewide demand for juvenile justice reform.

Juveniles can sometimes be lodged in emergency rooms for weeks awaiting placement in a dedicated mental health facility.

Young people in the juvenile justice system who need long-term mental health care often find there are not enough resources to handle them. That can leave children and families feeling confused and alone.

The committee called out a lack of policy, data collection and funding incentives that could keep kids from entering the court system.

Officials say the cells will save taxpayers' dollars that would've been used to transport kids out of state.