2023 Legislative Session Summary
During the General Legislative Session, the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, as well as the Sentencing Commission, Substance Use and Mental Health Advisory Council, and Board of Juvenile Justice, meets with their respective groups on a weekly basis to discuss potential legislation that may impact the population they serve. Below you will find the session summary report for 2023.
2023 House Bill 304
House Bill 304, that passed this latest 2023 General Legislative Session, made several changes to the juvenile justice system. The summary below provides the primary changes on school based offenses, system impact, and data reporting. The column on the left shows Pre-HB 304 policy, while the column on the right shows policy that goes into effect May 3, 2023.
Criminal Justice Reform & Crime Rates
With many reform changes that went into effect in 2015 and subsequent years, stakeholders and communities across Utah have raised concern that recent increase in crimes, particularly violent and homicide crimes, are due to JRI policy changes. As such, this study examines the relationship between criminal justice reform legislation and crime rates.
