OP-ED: Keep Mandatory Minimums Out of the Juvenile Justice System

But in this era of smart sentencing reform — particularly toward young people — a disturbing piece of legislation is coasting through the California legislature, threatening to wrench the state in the opposite direction. Senate Bill 838, authored by state Sen. Jim Beall (D‑Santa Clara), would break new ground by establishing the first mandatory minimum sentences in the state’s juvenile justice system.