TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — As lawmakers consider toughen penalties for kids committing firearms violations, a new Florida bill is making its way through subcommittees in the Legislature.

House Bill 1181, introduced by state Rep. Berny Jacques, would increase the punishment for juveniles caught with a gun — except in few specific scenarios — from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony.

What You Need To Know

  • House Bill 1181, introduced by state Rep. Berny Jacques, would increase the punishment for juveniles caught with a gun — except in few specific scenarios — from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony

  • Jacques told the House Criminal Justice Committee this week that accountability can be a deterrent for these kids

  • Critics of the bill, though, say the proposed punishment is too harsh for minors

Jacques told the House Criminal Justice Committee this week that accountability can be a deterrent for kids, but critics of the bill say the proposed punishment is too harsh for minors.

Derrick Collins wants to make a difference in his community.

“We see them at the schools, we see them at their homes, we see them wherever they are. If they’re in the detention center, we see them there,” said Collins, the program director at Mr. and Ms. Mentoring.

But when he heard about House Bill 1181, he had some questions.

“I do feel like they need to understand why they might be holding a firearm in the first place,” Collins said. “A lot of the time it’s more protective rather than them just having it just cause. There are kids who use it for show, but a lot of it is for protection because of the areas that they live in.”

Collins said that while he has kids who may be deterred if the bill is passed, other kids, the ones who fear their safety if they’re unarmed, might not.

Instead of enacting harsher punishments, Collins said legislators should focus more on alternative programs to get kids onto the road to success.

“We do provide a lot of alternatives, reading is one of those alternatives,” he said. “So we provide free books for them. They take them as they come.”

If passed, the bill would also extend how long minors are held at a detention center before the court begins criminal proceedings. It states the juvenile could remain in the facility anywhere between five and 21 days, depending on the crime.

Collins said he would like to know the reasoning behind the bill.

“What is the overall goal for them?” he asked. “Is the goal to deter them from having it? Or is the goal to put the ones that are having it behind bars?” 

The juvenile justice bill had its first reading this week and is currently being considered in the Justice Appropriations subcommittee.