Are you a parent that worries your child is turning in the wrong direction? Hanging out with kids you do not prefer? Are you a young person that has made poor decisions for your life? Have you finally decided to leave for college and moving on from past poor decisions? I have good news for all of you!

The Holmes Youthful Training Act (HYTA) has expanded!! What is the Holmes Youthful Training Act? It is a law that gives youthful offenders a second chance. A law that allows a young person that has committed an offense after the age of 17 years old and before the age of 21, the opportunity to have their single conviction cleared from public record if they plead guilty and successfully meet certain conditions of a judge’s sentence. Effective August 18, 2015, the law has expanded to allow youthful offenders between the ages of 17 and now 24 years old to have this opportunity. The process for a youthful offender between the ages of 21 and 24 will require the prosecutor’s consent. Other conditions may have to be met for any HYTA youthful trainee (e.g., maintain employment, electronic tether monitoring, etc.). The law also involves certain exceptions for which the opportunity is not available (e.g., felonies punishable by life in prison, major controlled substance offenses, certain sex offenses, traffic offenses, etc. ).

It is often rare that new possibilities arise for persons charged with crimes to have expansion of second chance opportunities. This is such a new possibility! If you or someone you know finds themselves or their family member dealing with a first time youthful offender ask about the Holmes Youthful Training Act and find out if it applies to you. Perhaps this can be your or your family member’s wake up call to turn their life in a new direction. 

Check out the full text of the law: Holmes Youthful Training Act - Effective 8/15/2015.