JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Around 100 people will head to Tallahassee, Tuesday morning to make their voices heard in support of legislation that would wipe the criminal records of juveniles who commit non-violent misdemeanors.
A bus packed with children left the Yates YMCA on Riverside Avenue at 6:30 a.m.
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Daniel Kids, Florida's oldest child-serving agency, along with other child-focused nonprofits that are part of the Jacksonville Children's Coalition are partnering to make their voices heard.
They are showing their support for the proposed legislation (SB 1316) that would wipe juvenile records for those who commit nonviolent misdemeanors and go on to complete diversion and community therapy programs. There is also a push by state Sen. Audrey Gibson to give juveniles civil citations for nonviolent crimes so that mistakes they make as minors won't necessarily go on to create a dark cloud over their futures.
Local supporters of the proposed legislation hope to advocate for children in Northeast Florida and educate legislators in Tallahassee about how this bill could affect hundreds of juveniles who have nonviolent or minor felonies on their records for activities such as underage drinking, smoking marijuana or stealing a CD from Walmart.
While these juveniles indeed were wrong in their actions, the groups argues that these charges affect the child long-term as they try to attend college or enter the work force.