New York is one of two states- the second is North Carolina- that treats 16- and 17-year-olds, who make up the bulk of all juvenile cases, as adults and not juveniles, regardless of the crime. The focus is on raising the age of criminal responsibility to the age of 18.
New York's antiquated law is still in place despite research that shows it jeopardizes public safety by increasing the likelihood of reoffending. Research has proven that the adolescent's brain is not fully developed until they are in their 20’s. This is why youth are sometimes more impulsive- and also why youth are more receptive to rehabilitative services.
Treating children as adults in the criminal justice system is short-sighted and ineffective. It is critical for New York to ensure that youth involved in the justice system are provided with court processes, services, and placement facilities that are developmentally appropriate.
Raising the age will not only produce better outcomes for New York's youth, but has also been proven to better protect public safety with multiple studies showing that youth who receive age-appropriate services are less likely to re-offend.
I love that more and more research is being done on juvenile justice. This video shows facts about age-appropriate services decreasing recidivism rates and yet we are still continuing to debate this issue. My hope is that continued research and presentation of evidence on juvenile justice will eventually bring much needed change to our current system.
ReplyDeleteTamar, I almost shared a really similar video to this one! I think this issue is fascinating as well as completely disturbing. It is shocking that we still treat 16-year-olds this way. Especially when research proves the harm that it is causing. I agree with Nikki that research must continue to bring change into this system.
ReplyDeleteIt is always interesting to me when research shows how systems and practices aren't working or cause more harm than good, yet we refuse to change what we are doing. I'm glad that research continues on topics such as this one that addresses not only its lack of effectiveness, but also the harm it is causing.
ReplyDeleteThe video I posted is a story about a male youth who was placed in New York's' Rikers Island Jail before he was even close to 18 years old. Age makes a tremendous difference in an individuals experience and outlook for the rest of their life. I honestly didn't even realize youth this young were being convicted of adult crimes so often. It is shocking!
ReplyDelete