Governor Jim Pillen joined state senators, county attorneys, and law enforcement officials to discuss legislation (LB 556) to fix Nebraska’s broken juvenile justice system, (Gov. Jim Pillen, Courtesy)
LINCOLN — Governor Jim Pillen joined state senators, county attorneys, and law enforcement officials to discuss legislation (LB 556) to fix Nebraska’s broken juvenile justice system. Senator Merv Riepe of Omaha introduced LB 556 at the request of the Governor.
LB 556 was introduced in response to a dramatic rise in felonies committed by juveniles since 2017. In Douglas County alone, juvenile repeat offenders have increased by 1700% since 2017.
“Public safety is the highest calling of government,” said Gov. Pillen. “None of us in Nebraska want to come to the reality that we have young boys committing these violent acts. The reality is that there are violent and even deadly crimes being committed by juveniles as young as 11 and 12 years old. This is hard for us to comprehend in Nebraska. The officers and prosecutors here are seeing the impacts of it firsthand and to say it’s alarming is an understatement.”
LB 556 changes the criteria for detention to give greater authority to the courts to detain juveniles in a physically restrictive facility for the safety of the juvenile and the community. Furthermore, this legislation will require a court hearing to review juvenile placement unless waived by both parties and lower the minimum age at which a juvenile may be detained from age 13 to age 11.
For felony arrests of a juvenile, it requires a judge, in consultation with a probation officer, to make a determination about detention. Finally, LB 556 will lower the age at which a juvenile can be charged as an adult for the most serious crimes (Class I, IA, IB, IC, ID, II and IIA felonies) from age 14 to age 12.
“This bill is not about punishment—it’s about protection: for our communities, our families, and the juveniles themselves,” said Senator Riepe. “By providing safe, secure detention options and empowering judges to make case-specific decisions, we can intervene early, prevent further harm, and offer meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation. Safety and accountability go hand-in-hand, ensuring a balanced approach that reduces crime and builds a safer future for all.”
Speaking on the importance of addressing the spike in serious criminal offenses by juveniles, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine thanked Governor Pillen for prioritizing this commonsense legislation that will address public safety deficiencies within our current law dealing with juveniles committing very violent crimes. “I’ve seen and met with the victims of these crimes, and I’ve seen the impact it also has on that juvenile,” said Mr. Kleine. “We need better tools to address these issues. The judge will ultimately determine whether detention is appropriate. It’s about fairness, safety, and doing what’s right for the juvenile.”
Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson added his support for LB 556. “I would like to thank Governor Pillen and Senator Riepe for introducing this commonsense piece of legislation,” said Sheriff Aaron Hanson. “Since 2017’s Juvenile Justice reform efforts, we have seen a 1700% increase in repeat juvenile offenders in Douglas County alone. Current law ties the hands of parents, probation officers, police, prosecutors, and judges when it comes to keeping the public and these offenders safe. This new legislation is a transformative step that will allow Law Enforcement to better protect the public and these juvenile offenders.”
