INDIANAPOLIS— Today the Senate passed SB 415, authored by Senator Rodney Pol (D-Chesterton). The legislation prohibits law enforcement from knowingly providing false statements or information to children during an interrogation. The legislation also requires law enforcement to make a reasonable attempt to contact the parents of a child who has been arrested or taken into custody. Senator Pol made the following statement:

“Protecting our children includes protecting them in interactions with law enforcement. I don’t believe that law enforcement frequently engages in providing false information to children. Yet any time it does happen is harmful to children, their future, their families, and the justice system. One of the most common reasons for exonerations of juvenile offenses is false confessions. This bill seeks to stop those confessions and build more trust in the criminal justice system. This bipartisan bill also protects kids and ensures that parents are contacted if their child is taken into police custody. I appreciate the Senate’s support of this common-sense measure and look forward to its consideration in the House.”