HB 1405: Courts; cognitive behavioral therapy for certain children in restrictive custody with the Department of Juvenile Justice; provide

Georgia law currently governs how children adjudicated for the most serious juvenile offenses, called class A or class B designated felony acts, are placed in restrictive custody by the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). This bill adds a new requirement to that law. DJJ would have to evaluate any child adjudicated for these offenses and placed in restrictive custody to see whether the child's behavior suggests they could benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, a structured talk therapy approach aimed at changing harmful thought and behavior patterns. For children identified through that evaluation, DJJ would have to provide the therapy, and the child would have to attend, until they complete at least 200 hours of therapy or are released from restrictive custody, whichever comes first. Starting July 1, 2027, and every year after, DJJ would have to produce an anonymized report on how many children received the therapy and their three year recidivism rate, sending it to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and the director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

• Requires DJJ to evaluate children adjudicated for class A or class B designated felony acts and placed in restrictive custody for signs they could benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy.
• Requires DJJ to provide, and the child to attend, cognitive behavioral therapy until reaching 200 hours or release from restrictive custody, whichever happens first.
• Requires DJJ to produce an annual report starting July 1, 2027 on the number of children who received the therapy and their three-year recidivism rate.
• Requires that report to contain only anonymized data and be sent to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and the director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.
• Repeals any conflicting Georgia laws.

Children adjudicated for class A or class B designated felony acts who are placed in restrictive custody, the Department of Juvenile Justice, which must evaluate and provide therapy and produce reports, and state officials including the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council who receive the reports.

Young people held in restrictive custody for serious offenses would gain a guaranteed path to therapy meant to address behavior linked to their offenses, while DJJ would take on new evaluation, service, and reporting duties. The recidivism data could later inform how well the therapy works.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 15-11-602 by adding subsection (i), covering children adjudicated for class A or class B designated felony acts placed in restrictive custody.
• DJJ must evaluate each such child for behavior indicating they could benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy.
• DJJ must provide and the child must attend at least 200 hours of therapy, ending early only if the child is released from restrictive custody first.
• DJJ must issue an annual report by July 1, 2027 and each year after, covering the number of children treated and their three-year recidivism rate.
• The report must use only anonymized data and go to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council director.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting Georgia laws.

1. 2026-02-25House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-24House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-20House Hopper (House)

• Soo Hong (R, HD-103)Primary sponsor
• Carmen Rice (R, HD-139)
• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)
• Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
• Scott Holcomb (D, HD-101)

• juvenile justice
• mental health services
• cognitive behavioral therapy
• criminal justice reform
• recidivism