The bill S. 16 aims to amend several sections of the South Carolina Code of Laws concerning the treatment of status offenders, particularly focusing on the juvenile justice system. Key changes include the elimination of the exception that allows children to be tried as adults, thereby ensuring that juveniles are not placed in secure adult detention facilities for more than six hours. Additionally, the bill reduces the maximum time a child can be held in a juvenile detention facility for a status offense from seventy-two hours to forty-eight hours, unless a court order specifies otherwise. It also mandates that families seek counseling for issues of incorrigibility before legal proceedings can be initiated.

Further amendments clarify the distinction between status offenses and criminal offenses, adjusting the requirements for court orders and the process for expungement of records related to status offenses. The bill provides for automatic expungement of official records for status offenses upon reaching the age of eighteen, provided certain conditions are met. These changes aim to reform the juvenile justice system by promoting rehabilitation over punishment and ensuring that juveniles are treated fairly and justly within the legal framework.

Statutes affected:
12/11/2024: 63-19-820, 63-19-1020, 63-19-1440, 63-19-1810, 63-19-2050
Latest Version: 63-19-820, 63-19-1020, 63-19-1440, 63-19-1810, 63-19-2050