Sentencing Guidelines Commission debates widening 'Option B' for juveniles, tables action for later

The Sentencing Guidelines Commission met Dec. 12, 2025, to consider juvenile committee recommendations that would broaden when judges may impose an "Option B" suspended-disposition sentencing alternative for juveniles. The commission heard data from a subcommittee analysis covering fiscal years 2005–2024 and debated changes ranging from permitting multiple Option B dispositions to clarifying statutory language that currently creates uneven application across counties.

Lauren (juvenile committee presenter) summarized the data used in the analysis and the committee's proposals. She said the full dataset initially identified 756 cases comprising 955 offenses with Option B dispositions; after applying exclusion rules the analytic sample included 559 cases and 630 offenses. The presentation said Robbery 2 and Assault 2 were the offenses most frequently receiving Option B in the period studied, and that by fiscal year 2024 Option B accounted for roughly 3% of all juvenile dispositions statewide. Lauren cautioned that outcome studies comparing Option B youth with other probation populations do not exist, so the committee cannot yet conclude how Option B affects recidivism or long-term outcomes.

The juvenile committee advanced several recommendations. Recommendation 1 would permit multiple…