What is this bill about?
AB 1647 amends Welfare and Institutions Code Section 707 to raise the burden of proof from “clear and convincing evidence” to “beyond a reasonable doubt” before a young person may be transferred from juvenile court to adult criminal court.
How does it align with yli’s values?
For youth facing transfer hearings, the stakes could not be higher. Transferring a youth to adult court is a final, devastating judgment. When a juvenile court mistakenly sends a youth to adult court, they take away a young person’s best opportunity for rehabilitation. Youth prosecuted as adults are more likely to reoffend and to commit more serious crimes than similarly situated youth who remain in the juvenile system. They are more likely to experience violence and sexual assault in adult facilities, and less likely to receive the education, mental health treatment, and family connection that support accountability and reduce harm. Transfers also exacerbate racial disparities. In 2023 and 2024, Black youth with a transfer hearing were transferred to adult court at more than twice the rate of white youth.
This bill raises the evidentiary standard at transfer hearings from “clear and convincing evidence” to “beyond a reasonable doubt.” It maintains judicial discretion to transfer youth when appropriate, but ensures the highest standard of proof is applied before imposing this irreversible decision.
yli partners with thousands of youth across the state, the majority of whom are low-income youth of color. We witness first hand the impacts of our state’s harmful “justice” system on their lives, and are staunch advocates of measures that will reduce the criminalization and incarceration of our youth, and ensure they have the best chances at rehabilitation and reentry.
This policy aligns with our Racial Justice Platform, which addresses the impacts of the carceral system on communities of color.
What is yli doing about it?
We have just submitted a letter endorsing this bill, and we are showing our support on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Who supports this bill?
- Alliance for Boys and Men of Color
- Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice
- Hang Out Do Good
- Hoops 4 Justice
- Legal Services for Prisoners with Children/All of Us or None
- The Voice of Transfer Youth
- Urban Peace Institute
- W. Haywood Burns Institute