1. United States
2. Kan.
3. Letter

HB 2329 moves Kansas in the wrong direction by expanding juvenile detention limits, increasing criminal penalties for youth, and pushing more children into residential facilities instead of evidence-based prevention and rehabilitation. Harsher punishment does not make communities safer—it increases recidivism and permanently harms young people who need support, not incarceration. Raising detention caps and penalties, especially for repeat offenses or firearm-related charges, ignores what works. Youth are developmentally different from adults, and punitive responses disrupt education, family ties, and mental health—factors proven to reduce future offending. Expanding non-foster residential placements also risks institutionalizing kids when community-based alternatives are more effective and less costly. Kansas should invest in proven solutions: diversion, trauma-informed care, mental health and substance-use treatment, family supports, restorative justice, and education-based interventions. These approaches hold youth accountable while giving them a real chance to change course. I urge you to oppose HB 2329 and protect Kansas kids by prioritizing rehabilitation over punishment. Keep children out of the criminal system and invest in pathways that lead to safety, opportunity, and long-term success.