LANSING, MI (AP)-- The state House has approved a package of bills that would revise prison sentences and alternatives for young offenders in a program that offers a second chance after conviction.
The package was approved with broad bipartisan support in the House on Thursday. It would change the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, which now allows judges to sentence 17- to 20-year-olds who have pleaded guilty to a crime to prison or probation without having a conviction on their record.
The changes would extend eligibility to age 24 and allow courts to require someone in the program to work or attend school. It also would limit the maximum prison sentence and restrict people from eligibility for the program if they are convicted of certain crimes.