The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/tag/raise-the-age/)
The results of 2014 legislation in The Netherlands are still inconclusive, but two Americans examining juvenile justice programs in Europe say early data suggest that the presence of older youth in juvenile court may promote more leniency for 16- and 17-year-olds.
Some states are considering an increase in the age of adult jurisdiction beyond 18. But two Wisconsin researchers caution that might increase juvenile criminality.
Long-overdue juvenile justice reforms have increased the age at which juveniles can be charged as adults to 17 or 18. But a few states want to increase it to as high as 21– an initiative that one justice researcher argues could be counterproductive.
At least 36 states have passed legislation to keep young people out of adult prisons or jails since 2005—and more states are on track to limit youth exposure to the adult justice system over the next two years, according to a study released October 11 by the Campaign for Youth Justice.
The tragic suicide of Ben Van Zandt, a youth tried as an adult, adds pressure on NY legislators to raise the age of criminal responsibility. New York is one of the few remaining states which still treat offenders as young as 17 as adults.
Most states, with some notable exceptions, have raised the age at which youths are exposed to the adult justice system. But the harder task of improving services for troubled young people is still ahead, warns a Justice Policy Institute expert.
A measure launched by Gov. Dannel Malloy could make Connecticut the first state to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 21.
Hernan Carvente was 15 years and 363 days old when he was charged with attempted murder. If he had been charged two days later, on his 16th birthday, he says the trajectory of his life may have dramatically changed. The Queens, NY-resident would have automatically been tried and sentenced as an adult. Having just missed the cut, Carvente was sentenced to between two and six years in a secure juvenile facility that offered college-level classes. Five years later, he's a […]