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Raise the Age: Keep Children Out of the Adult System
Action for Children advocates for all minors (under age 18) charged with a crime to start in the juvenile justice system, with judges retaining their current authority to transfer youth to the adult system for any felony.
Action for Children and its partners are committed to ensuring the safety of our communities, North Carolina is one of only two states in the nation that prosecute all 16- and 17-year-olds charged with a crime in the adult criminal justice system, regardless of the severity of their alleged crimes.while fostering positive development, so that the youth of today can become healthy, productive adults of tomorrow. We advocate for the development of a comprehensive plan detailing how to ensure developmentally appropriate, research-based services and treatment for court-involved minors, including 16- and 17-year-olds.
North Carolina is one of only two states in the nation that prosecute all 16- and 17-year-olds charged with a crime in the adult criminal justice system, regardless of the severity of their alleged crimes.
New research and data make it clear that our juvenile justice system is the right place to serve juveniles, reserving adult courts for the most serious, chronic and violent offenders. The juvenile system provides age-appropriate adjudication, services, treatment and punishment while giving youth time to grow up and mature. The time has come for
What Can You Do to Help?
Current RTA Campaign Activities
- Sign on to the Raise the Age Petition: Tell North Carolina’s leaders that it’s time to join the rest of the country by reading and signing on to the Raise the Age Petition. Tell them to throw out this nearly 100-year-old law and put 16- and 17-year-olds in the juvenile justice system, where they can be treated, rehabilitated, educated, counseled, and prepared for a successful life.
- Foster Grassroots Support: Action for Children and partners will be working during 2010 to move this issue forward by building a grassroots movement across the state, with an eye toward passing legislation in 2011. Help get your community behind raising the age by contacting Brandy Bynum at brandy@ncchild.org.
- Share Your Story: We need to hear from North Carolina’s youth, young adults and families affected by the juvenile and/or adult criminal justice systems. In partnership with the Covenant with North Carolina’s Children, Action for Children will conduct a “Youth Speak” initiative to collect and disseminate to legislators and other key officials the stories of youth and young adults impacted by N.C.’s treatment of 16- and 17-year-olds as adults. Please contact brandy@ncchild.org to share your story.
Upcoming RTA Campaign Activities
- Regional Community Forums coming to a town near you in fall 2010: Raleigh/Durham, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Winston Salem and more
- Youth Accountability Task Force Public Hearings: October in eastern and western N.C. More info to follow.
Legislative Information:
During the 2008 legislative session, Action for Children and its partners advocated for the development of a comprehensive plan to phase 16- and 17-year-old children into the juvenile justice system with adequate resources so that they can receive a developmentally appropriate, research-based continuum of services. The 2008-09 state budget allocated $200,000 for the Governor's Crime Commission to study this issue.
During the 2009 legislative session, Action for Children and partners continued our work on HB 1414 (Youth Accountability Act) to bring 16- and 17-year-olds into the juvenile justice system. The Youth Accountability Act was not passed this session; however, the task force portion of the bill was included in the 2009-2010 budget as a special provision. The final 2009-10 budget established the Youth Accountability Task Force, a group of legislators, juvenile justice department officials and judicial representatives who will create an implementation plan for moving youth from the adult system to the juvenile system. The task force will examine the legal issues, costs and programs needs for moving forward. The task force met for the first time in October 2009 and is scheduled to release a final report to the General Assembly in January 2011.
For more information on the Youth Accountability Task Force, please visit www.ncdjjdp.org/taskforce.html
For more information on HB 1414: The Youth Accountability Act, click here.
More Information
