HB1405: HB1405 Courts; cognitive behavioral therapy for certain children in restrictive custody with the Department of Juvenile Justice; provide

Georgia law allows courts to place children adjudicated for the most serious juvenile offenses, called class A or class B designated felony acts, into restrictive custody with the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). This bill adds a new requirement to that process. DJJ would have to evaluate each such child 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 patterns. If a child is identified as a candidate, DJJ must provide the therapy, and the child must attend, until the child completes at least 200 hours of therapy or is released from restrictive custody, whichever happens first. Starting July 1, 2027 and every year after, DJJ must 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 cognitive behavioral therapy to identified children and requires those children to attend it.
• Sets a minimum of 200 hours of therapy, or until the child is released from restrictive custody, whichever comes first.
• Requires DJJ to produce an annual anonymized report starting July 1, 2027 on the number of children treated and their three-year recidivism rate.
• Directs that the annual report be sent to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and the director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

Children adjudicated delinquent for the most serious juvenile offenses (class A or class B designated felony acts) who are placed in restrictive custody, the Department of Juvenile Justice, which must evaluate and treat them and produce reports, and state officials who receive the annual report.

Youths held for the most serious juvenile offenses could now receive structured mental health treatment aimed at changing behavior, rather than only custody. The required reporting would let state leaders track how many youths are treated and whether it affects reoffending over time.

• Amends O.C.G.A. § 15-11-602, which governs disposition of class A or class B designated felony acts, by adding a new subsection (i).
• Subsection (i)(1) requires DJJ to evaluate qualifying children for behavior indicating they could benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy and to provide that therapy if so.
• Sets a floor of 200 hours of therapy per child, ending early only if the child is released from restrictive custody first.
• Subsection (i)(2) requires an annual report starting on or before July 1, 2027 covering the number of children treated and their three-year recidivism rate, using only anonymized data.
• Specifies the report must go to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.
• Section 2 repeals conflicting 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 treatment
• cognitive behavioral therapy
• criminal recidivism
• Department of Juvenile Justice