OLYMPIA – Sen. Jeannie Darneille (D-Tacoma) introduced a bill today that would raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to ages 13-19, up from 8-17. Senate Bill 5122 was created to respond to research that shows teenagers benefit more from the rehabilitative response available in the juvenile court system as compared to the adult criminal legal system. “There is very strong research-based evidence showing this legislation would decrease involvement in the criminal legal system for tens of thousands of young people,” said Darneille. “This evidence also shows this would reduce recidivism and improve health outcomes by maintaining their access to employment opportunities, housing, and economic stability. Because our current policing system and the school to prison pipeline disproportionately harm youth ...