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Dear Chair Scheible, Vice Chair Cannizzaro and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee:
My name is Nila Bala, and I am the associate director of Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties Policy for the R Street Institute, which is a nonprofit, center-right, public policy research organization. I am also a former public defender from Baltimore city. I am writing in support of AB 251, which would improve second chances for youth in Nevada.
We are in favor of this bill because we know that a juvenile record can severely impact a young person’s future prospects. Currently, if a juvenile has a criminal record, he or she would have to wait until age 21 to seal it. This bill will move up eligibility and automatically seal certain offenses at the age of 18. Additionally, it also authorizes expungement (or destruction) of juvenile records upon petition at the discretion of a judge.