The provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions for adults are the subject of this analysis. The bill would amend various codes as they relate to the age of criminal responsibility and to certain substantive and procedural matters related to that age. These provisions would take effect on September 1, 2020 and apply to offenses committed on or after the effective date of the Act. 

Under the provisions of the bill, individuals who are 17 at offense would be considered juveniles and would be under the jurisdiction of juvenile courts and the juvenile justice system instead of the adult criminal justice system. In fiscal year 2018, there were 456 new admissions to adult correctional institutions for persons who were 17 at offense and who, under the provisions of the bill, would no longer be eligible for adult correctional institutions.  In fiscal year 2018, 1,752 individuals placed under adult felony community supervision were 17 at offense and would no longer be eligible for such supervision.  Estimated populations are based on the adult incarceration projections included in the January 2019 Adult and Juvenile Correctional Population Projections report, include a small time lag, and assume sentencing patterns and policies not addressed in the bill remain constant. The probable impact on adult correctional populations of implementing the provisions of the bill during each of the first five years following passage is estimated as follows: