Since 2007, seven out of 14 states that set the age of juvenile court jurisdiction below age 18 have joined the majority of other states by passing reforms to include 16- and/or 17-year-olds in juvenile court. And they have been able to do so without jeopardizing community safety or increasing taxpayer costs. These and other results—as well as efforts to raise the age in the remaining seven states—are detailed in a new report, Raising the Age: Shifting to a Safer and More Effective Youth Justice System, released by Public Welfare Foundation grantees Justice Policy Institute and Campaign for Youth Justice. The report also highlights some of the juvenile justice reform work of state advocates, including Foundation grantees in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Louisiana.
To see the executive summary, click here.
To see the full report, click here.
