Legislation called cutting edge by national experts on juvenile justice reform has been unanimously passed by the Council of the District of Columbia.

“We looked at best practices from across the country and really pulled together what we think is going to transform our juvenile justice system,” said Democratic councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, who sponsored the bill along with seven other councilmembers. “More importantly, it’s going to modernize the juvenile justice system to hold young people accountable for their actions, but it’s also going to give them an opportunity for rehabilitation.”

The Comprehensive Youth Justice Amendment Act of 2016 now goes to Mayor Muriel Bowser and then Congress for consideration, respectively. If Congress does nothing within 60 days, it will automatically become law. The mayor is expected to sign the bill, said Nicole Chapple, assistant director for external affairs of the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.

The bill bars detaining juveniles for status offenses (such as running away or underage drinking), putting juveniles in adult facilities and putting unsupervised children into detention facilities before fact-finding or dispositional hearings. Legal custody of a child younger than age 10 could not be transferred from parents or guardians to the government. Minors will no longer be placed in solitary confinement unless it’s to protect their safety or that of others, or for disrupting a formal investigation.

[For more of this story, written by Allen Fennewald, go to http://jjie.org/daniel-okonkwo...mendment-act/342028/]