Senate bill would allow kids as young as 15 to be sent to adult Texas prisons

AUSTIN – KERA reports a Senate bill currently being considered would change a Texas law to allow 15-year old offenders to be sent to state prisons for adults. The age currently is 16. That change would apply to felons already in the state juvenile system who commit a second felony, like assaulting staff, or for “delinquent conduct.” Senate Bill 1727 and a companion House bill are intended to help protect staff from violent juveniles. Brett Merfish, Youth Justice Director for the Texas Appleseed organization, said the suggested law change gives children fewer chances than adults. Texas has a “three-strike” rule for adult felons. “It doesn’t’ allow for considering this child hit an officer while they’re being restrained, or, maybe they had an outburst because of a mental health condition,” she said. “And let’s say they did kick or hit an officer, but there was no injury and the intent wasn’t to hurt them. It doesn’t allow for any of that. It just says, ‘Okay — assault on a public servant, you’re out of here, you are going to the adult system.’ ”

As of May 1, there were 29 juvenile inmates in the Youth Offender Program within Texas prisons. The Texas Juvenile Justice Department oversees young criminal offender programs and detention centers, including five correctional facilities and three halfway houses. About 700 juveniles as young as age 10 were in TJJD custody as of last summer, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Of those, about 80 percent are Black or Latino. Amnisty Freelen’s son, Joshua Beasley, Jr., was 11 when he first entered the juvenile system for spray painting a Paris, Texas church with other boys. A month after he turned 16, he was transferred to the Wayne Scott Unit adult prison. Six months later, in March 2023, he wrapped a sheet around his neck and died in his cell. “In the adult system, Josh is the youngest person to die,” Freelen said. She said youths in detention and detention officers deserve protection. Recently, a Dallas County juvenile detention officer was severely injured by a female in custody who was younger than 15.