Reform advocates put their support behind three pieces of legislation that aim to support children who have entered into the criminal system, following a joint hearing of the state House Children and Youth and Judiciary committees this week.

A bill from Rep. Emily Kinkead, D-Bellevue, would limit fees imposed on juveniles in the court system, acknowledging that they create an excessive financial burden on families that may already be struggling.

Public defender Allison Ware, associate director of clinical programs and assistant professor at Duquesne University, pointed out that children as young as 10 can be held responsible for criminal offenses in the Pennsylvania legal system.

She recounted a case in which her client, a disabled boy, accidentally damaged a neighbor’s garage by riding

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