All news items
How New York City Achieved a Historic Drop in Youth Detention Admissions
Monday, December 10th, 2018By: Felipe Franco Date Published: December 10th 2018 This year has been one of the most transformative years in history for New York’s juvenile justice system. Just a month after one of New York’s most groundbreaking juvenile justice reforms, Raise the Age, became a reality, New York City took a wrecking ball to the decades-old […]
Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc. Positioned to Serve as Alternative to Lock-Up for Youth Released from New York’s Adult Prisons
Wednesday, December 5th, 2018By: Youth Advocates Program Inc (YAP Inc.) Date Published: December 5th, 2018 New York (Dec. 5, 2018) — At age 37, Anton Cannatella speaks of a former Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc. participant as he would a younger brother, nephew or even son. The young man, now 18, is one of many youth Cannatella has […]
As Raise the Age starts, juvenile cases have dropped
Monday, December 3rd, 2018Downward trend in number of newly declared juvenile delinquents By Rick Karlin Date Published: December 3rd, 2018 ALBANY — New York’s long-sought Raise the Age law is a reality. The first phase of the new law took effect in October, increasing from 16 to 17 the age at which someone can be tried on criminal […]
County prepares foster-care sites for Raise the Age-affected youth
Tuesday, November 27th, 2018Date Published: November 27th By:David Hill Link for link to original story As New York reforms how it deals with serious crimes committed by teenagers, Oneida County has lined up 13 new places to send 16- and 17-year-olds in custody for serious crimes. It’s a bureaucratic technicality needed to deal with a real situation: Where […]
Trauma Persists for Young Adults Too Old For Raise the Age
Tuesday, November 27th, 2018By David Brand Date Published: November 27, 2018 Link to original story Arrested at 15, convicted in Queens Criminal Court earlier this month at 19, Prakash Churaman grew up on Rikers Island. Churaman’s four-year detention is the sort of teenage tragedy that New York’s new Raise the Age law is designed to remedy — but few […]
Fulton County ‘urges’ state to pay costs ‘Raise the Age’ law will have impact
Wednesday, November 21st, 2018By: Mike Anich Date Published: November 21st, 2018 JOHNSTOWN — The Fulton County Board of Supervisors last week urged the state to fully fund new costs incurred by counties related to the new state Raise the Age Law, and to develop a comprehensive transition and waiver process. The resolution passed by the board at the […]
Like Many Counties, Steuben’s 2019 Budget Reflects State Mandates For Indigent Defense, Raise The Age
Friday, November 16th, 2018By: Gabe Altieri Date Published: November 16, 2018 Link to original story BATH, NY (WSKG) — Like counties across New York, Steuben’s budget for next year has to deal with a few new state mandates, including Raise the Age and new indigent defense requirements. Raise the Age raises the age of criminal responsibility to 18 years […]
COMPLETE VIDEO: 157th CityLaw Breakfast with ACS Commissioner David A. Hansell
Friday, November 16th, 2018Administration for Children’s Services Commissioner David A. Hansell David A. Hansell, Commissioner for the Administration for Children’s Services spoke at this morning’s 157th CityLaw Breakfast at New York Law School. Commissioner Hansell was introduced by Professor Ross Sandler, Director for the Center for New York City Law, with remarks by New York Law School Dean Anthony W. Crowell. […]
Children’s Home Looks To Fill 30 New Jobs
Thursday, November 15th, 2018There are 30 new jobs to fill in Watertown. They’re at the Children’s Home of Jefferson County. The new employees will work with non-violent 16 and 17 year olds who won’t be prosecuted as adults. That’s the result of New York’s new ‘Raise the Age’ law. The children’s home has contracts with a number of […]
Letter: Soares has a long way to go to be “progressive”
Thursday, November 15th, 2018November 15th, 2018 By: Jennifer McErlean In his commentary “For prosecutors, DAASNY is a valuable resource,” Oct. 19, David Soares lauded himself and the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York as “progressive.” But what exactly does this mean? Soares has often opposed recognition of youthful offender status, which allows leniency to […]
Should Pepper Spray Be Used on ‘Raise the Age’ Teens in NY? Debate Continues After Waiver
Tuesday, November 13th, 2018Date: November 13, 2018 By Emma Davis NEW YORK — When Ron started working at Horizon Detention Center in early October, he expected the Bronx facility to be full of “ra-ra, rowdy” teens. To his surprise, the residents were calm, even respectful, and the bright, clean halls reminded him of a dormitory. “I was even asking my […]
Fulton County to look at the tentative 2019 budget
Saturday, November 10th, 2018By: Mike Anich Date Published: November 10th, 2018 Link to original story JOHNSTOWN — Fulton County Budget Director Alice Kuntzsch will present the county’s tentative 2019 budget to the Board of Supervisors at its meeting starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the County Office Building. A public hearing on the county’s 2019-20 capital plan will […]
After Raise the Age, Where Will NY’s Adolescent Offenders Go?
Tuesday, November 6th, 2018By H. Rose Schneider November 6, 2018 Appeared in Juvenile Justice Information Exchange:[ link to the original article] On Oct. 1, the first phase of a New York state law known as “Raise the Age” took effect, meaning 16-year-olds can no longer be arrested or tried as adults. A year from now, the law will extend […]
MOVING TEENS OFF RIKERS ISLAND WAS A GOOD FIRST STEP. NOW COMES THE HARD PART.
Thursday, November 1st, 2018By Ruben Austria Nov 01, 2018 The rocky implementation of New York’s Raise the Age legislation shows that young people in detention need love, not force. At midnight on Oct. 1, 2018, New York’s Raise the Age law went into effect, ending the state’s practice of automatically charging young people as adults at age 16. It […]
Now, New York Counties Must Jail Kids Separately. Some Are Creating A Non-Profit To Build A Regional Facility
Tuesday, October 30th, 2018By Celia Clarke October 30, 2018 __________ ITHACA, NY (WSKG) – Counties in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes are working together to find new places to house children in the criminal justice system. Last year, the New York state legislature passed a law that prohibits children from being charged as adults which means they can’t […]
Say no to NYC correction union status quo
Monday, October 22nd, 2018COBA has been furious since the Raise the Age law — passed last year in the state and in effect this month. The Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association has been on a tear as of late. You’ve probably seen jail officers and union president Elias Husamudeen make their case to the media that the Horizon Juvenile […]
Don’t let push come to shove for 16- and 17-year-old inmates
Monday, October 22nd, 2018New York’s Raise the Age law says 16- and 17-year-olds shouldn’t be treated as adults while incarcerated. Photo Credit: ISTOCK.COM PHOTO / istock.com photo By The Editorial Board October 22, 2018 7:46 PM The new state law known as Raise the Age, which went into effect Oct. 1, recognizes that 16- and 17-year-olds shouldn’t be […]
Settling down: Wild Horizon Juvenile Center is back to business as usual — officials
Tuesday, October 16th, 2018What a difference a week makes. The violence that’s plagued the Bronx’s Horizon Juvenile Center ever since it began taking in 16- and 17-year-old inmates from Rikers Island has dropped drastically over the last week — to practically zero assaults. Since last Friday, there have been no attacks on correction officers or staff, according to […]
Could an Ex-Convict Become an Attorney? I Intended to Find Out
Tuesday, October 16th, 2018After serving time for a crime I committed at 16, I discovered how hard it is for a felon to get a second chance. ne afternoon in the fall of 2016, I sat in a windowless visiting room at the Manson Youth Institution in Cheshire, Conn. A recent graduate of Yale Law School, I was […]
Let more juvie felons out: Raise the Age is only a first step
Monday, October 15th, 2018Andrew Cuomo and Albany should give young offenders a crack at reducing their sentences. (Darren McGee/New York State Governor’s Office via Getty Images) _____ Victor exchanged words with a man in a club. Juan got into an argument with his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend. Alex was angry his team lost a ball game. Robert was threatened during […]
‘Raise the Age’ means no more 16-year-olds in jail as adults
Sunday, October 14th, 2018Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signs Raise the Age into law in Harlem on April 10, 2017, while surrounded by elected officials, criminal justice reformers and and members of the justice system. The measure, which will be phased in through October 2019, means people under the age of 18 who are accused of nonviolent crimes will […]
Raise the Age finds north country mostly prepared, still working out details
Sunday, October 7th, 2018Starting this month 16-year-old criminal suspects who previously would have been held in adult cells at county jails will be sent from the north country to Albany as they await trial. It is a small number of offenders. Lewis County reported five would have fit the description set forth by new state law that created […]
Hudson Valley County Embraces Raise The Age
Sunday, October 7th, 2018In April 2017, Cuomo signed new legislation that removes New York from the handful of states that treats youthful offenders as adults. WHITE PLAINS, NY — Westchester County is one of many counties in New York State ready for major changes as the Raise the Age legislation has gone into effect. The change, effective Oct. […]
How ‘Raise the Age’ changes adolescent prosecution
Thursday, October 4th, 2018New York State’s “Raise the Age” law that took effect October 1 established a new class of adolescent offenders for 16-year-olds, so they can’t be tried in the adult criminal justice system, or be housed with adult inmates. Next year, 17-year-olds will join in on that protection when the second part of legislation takes effect. “We’re […]
Cuomo finally raises the age
Thursday, October 4th, 2018It took some years, but activists have pushed the governor to raise the age. But is it enough? This week, New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the Raise the Age law went into effect. The legislation removes 16 year olds who have committed a crime from the adult criminal justice system and places […]
Raise the Age New York Campaign Statement on the First Day of State-Wide Implementation
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2018OCTOBER 1 #RaiseTheAgeNY Statement & Call to Action (PDF) October 1, 2018 -Today, as Raise the Age legislation goes into effect across New York State, the Raise the Age coalition recognizes the years of ground-breaking work of hundreds of diverse individuals and organizations, including formerly incarcerated youth and their families, child advocates, service providers, faith […]
Raise the Age Legislation Goes Into Effect in New York with Under-18s Moved From Rikers
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2018Karen Savage New Yorkers protested in March 2017, calling for raise the age legislation to be passed. As the first step in New York’s raise the age law, all 16- and 17-year-olds were moved off New York City’s notorious Rikers Island and into more appropriate juvenile facilities by the Monday deadline, according to an announcement […]
The Kids are Leaving Rikers. Is it Really a New Day for Juvenile Justice in NYC?
Monday, October 1st, 2018Inside the Crossroads Juvenile Center, in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The facility is similar to the Horizon center in the Bronx where 16- and 17-year-olds previously held at Rikers are being transferred. By Monday, all of the 16- and 17-year-olds currently detained on Rikers Island are set to be moved to the Horizon Juvenile Facility, a secure […]
Dozens of Teenagers Have Been Moved Off Rikers Island as New State Law Takes Effect
Monday, October 1st, 2018Raise the Age is the result of a longstanding debate over the treatment of young teenagers who commit crimes. While the law is not retroactive, it requires 16 and 17 year olds be moved from Rikers Island, the city’s notorious jail system where correction officers were found to be abusing the civil rights of the youngest […]
Teens Moved Off Rikers Island As ‘Raise The Age’ Law Takes Hold
Monday, October 1st, 2018NEW YORK — New York City’s infamous Rikers Island complex will no longer hold 16- and 17-year olds under a new state law raising the age of criminal responsibility, city officials said. The 93 minors currently in city custody were moved to The Bronx’s Horizon Juvenile Detention Center by Sunday ahead of Monday’s deadline to […]
Syracuse detention center prepares to meet new Raise the Age law
Monday, October 1st, 2018Dan Lyon | Staff Photographer Hillbrook Detention Center is located on Velasko Road. By Madeleine Davison As a legally binding deadline approaches, Hillbrook Juvenile Detention Center must prepare for one of its biggest challenges yet: admitting older teens facing felony charges. The center on Velasko Road in Syracuse is facing a balancing act. It must hire enough qualified workers to […]
‘Raise the Age’ will serve youth, improve community safety (Commentary)
Monday, October 1st, 2018Marsha Weissman, of Syracuse, is senior policy fellow at the Center for Community Alternatives, and an adjunct professor of Sociology at Syracuse University. Julia Davis, of New York, is director of youth justice and child welfare at the Children’s Defense Fund-New York. CDF-NY co-led the Raise the Age-New York Campaign. By Marsha Weissman and Julia […]
Raise the bar on Raise the Age: N.Y. can do better for young people charged with crimes
Monday, October 1st, 2018Getting it right on Raise the Age. (Anthony DelMundo / New York Daily News) By VINCENT SCHIRALDI OCT 01, 2018 | 5:00 AM ______________ Today, Oct. 1, a New York State law raises the age for trying youth in Family Court, also removing everyone under age 18 from Rikers Island. This marks the end of a long and abusive chapter […]
GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES RAISE THE AGE LAW NOW IN EFFECT
Monday, October 1st, 2018Provision Removes 16-Year-Olds Who Committed Criminal Acts as of Midnight, October 1 from the Adult Criminal Justice System and Prohibits 16- and 17-year-olds from Being Housed at Rikers Island Essential Fiscal Guidance, Planning Tools and Trainings Provided to Local Stakeholders FY 2018 Budget Legislation Marks Major Accomplishment in Governor Cuomo’s Efforts to Ensure a More […]
Consider Kids: Quick! What’s the age of criminal responsibility in New York State?
Monday, October 1st, 2018by Allison LakeFollow Executive Director of Westchester Children’s Association October 1, 2018: As of today, the answer is 17. One year from now, on October 1, 2019, it will increase to 18. This means that youth under the age of 18 will no longer be tried in the adult criminal justice system. My organization, Westchester Children’s Association (WCA), […]
Rikers’ minors moving to Horizon Juvenile Center on Oct. 1
Monday, October 1st, 2018The phrase “I’m here for you like air” is emblazoned on the wall above a basketball hoop in the Bronx. But it isn’t in a high school gym. It’s inside the Horizon Juvenile Center — one of two juvenile detention facilities in the city, and where all 16- and 17-year-olds at Rikers will be moved […]
Hope is on the Horizon for incarcerated teens moved from Rikers to remodeled juvenile facility in the Bronx
Monday, October 1st, 2018New York – September 30, 2016 – Tamica photographed outside her house in Staten Island, knows that her 16-year-old son would be better off away from the gray walls and iron bars of Rikers Island. ?He’s a kid, he shouldn?t be in jail. (Luiz C. Ribeiro / for New York Daily News) Call it […]
GOTHAMIST: Raise The Age Moves All Young Teenagers Off Rikers Island
Monday, October 1st, 2018Luis Padilla poses for a picture near his home in New York in February of 2017. Padilla was arrested at 16 and sent to Rikers Island. (AP/Shutterstock) As of Monday, all 16- and 17-year-olds have been moved out of facilities on Rikers Island as part of the state’s Raise the Age legislation, which makes 18 the […]
Teen Inmates Leave Rikers Island Ahead Of ‘Raise The Age’ Deadline
Sunday, September 30th, 2018NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Under New York State’s “Raise the Age” law, the City has until Monday to transfer all 16 and 17-year-olds off Rikers Island and into a juvenile detention facility. The law, signed by Gov. Cuomo last year, removes adolescents from the adult criminal justice system and places them in facilities like […]
7 Key Questions as New York Moves Teenagers Out of Rikers
Friday, September 28th, 2018The city must move 16- and 17-year-old detainees from Rikers Island jails starting Oct. 1, but with much still to do advocates and union leaders wonder if the city will make it. The Horizon Juvenile Center in the Bronx is being fortified before 16- and 17-year-old detainees from Rikers Island move in. CreditGregg Vigliotti for […]
Raise the Age could cost Genesee County $3M in two years
Thursday, September 27th, 2018BATAVIA — Genesee County’s costs could be nearly $3 million for the first two years Raise the Age legislation on criminal responsibility is in effect, legislators heard during their meeting Wednesday. Raise the Age changes statewide will go into effect on Monday for 16-year-olds and Oct. 1, 2019, for 17-year-olds. It raises the age of […]
Raise The Age Law Set to Take Effect, Steuben County Seeks Youth Detention Center
Monday, September 24th, 20180 Steuben County, N.Y. (WENY)– Come October 1st, anyone under the age of 17 arrested for a crime in New York State will not be taken to County Jail. It’s part of the Raise The Age Legislation passed last year, raising the age of criminal responsibility. On October 1st, 2019, the age will be raised […]
Raise the Age takes effect Oct. 1; Twin Counties consider Berkshire Farms to detain 16- and 17-year-olds
Wednesday, September 19th, 2018Gov. Andrew Cuomo tours the Special Housing Unit of the Coxsackie Correctional Facility in May 2015. Cuomo pushed the state legislature to increase the age of criminal responsibility to 18 which the legislature did in April 2017. Phase one of law takes effect Oct. 1 and phase two takes effect Oct. 1, 2019. […]
On the Cusp of Major Reform, New York City’s Juvenile Justice Commissioner Speaks to The Chronicle
Tuesday, September 18th, 2018A landmark piece of progressive legislation, signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo (D), is about to go into partial effect on October 1. Under the “Raise the Age” law he signed in 2017, the state will soon consider most 16- and 17-year-olds to be juveniles and not adults in the eyes of the law. It’s a big, […]
State’s new ‘Raise the Age’ rules take effect Oct. 1; St. Lawrence County officials still figuring out gameplan
Tuesday, September 18th, 2018CANTON — As the deadline approaches, St. Lawrence County officials are still fine-tuning how they will follow a new state law that prohibits putting law-breakers under age 18 in traditional jails with older inmates. The state’s “Raise the Age” legislation takes effect Oct. 1 for 16-year-olds. A year later, Oct. 1, 2019, it expands to […]
Raise the Age legislation in effect starting next month, Onondaga County ready for change
Monday, September 17th, 2018Onondaga County is among counties in New York State gearing up for major changes as the Raise the Age legislation goes into effect next month. Once the law goes into partial effect October 1, 16-year-olds accused of a crime won’t go through the adult criminal justice system. Deputy County Executive for Human Services Ann Rooney […]
Otsego County Raise The Age Program – Deadline Coming Oct. 1
Monday, September 17th, 2018COOPERSTOWN, NY – On October 1, 2018, New York State’s new policy raising the age for criminal prosecution of teens takes effect. How it will be handled is based on a county by county basis. This report shows how Otsego County will handle this. Link to story: https://www.cnyhomepage.com/news/otsego-county-raise-the-age-program/1454997875
New York Alternative Facility Emphasizes Rehabilitation For Raise the Age Candidates
Tuesday, August 28th, 2018Residents at Crossroads Juvenile Detention Center, in Brooklyn, an alternative-to-detention facility. With the implementation of a new state law raising the age of criminality to 18, young offenders sentenced to serve time will be housed at places like Crossroads. NEW YORK — At Crossroads Juvenile Detention Center in Brooklyn, barbed wire and tall unclimbable fences […]
New York City could be a leader in juvenile justice reform
Friday, July 27th, 2018But first the city has to implement Raise the Age legislation on time. Deep inside the Manhattan headquarters of the Administration for Children’s Services on the morning of July 24, a contract with deep implications for the future of juvenile justice nationwide quietly moved forward. An upcoming contract between the agency and the nonprofit Missouri Youth […]
New York City Detention Staff Shortage Threatens Raise the Age Timeline
Thursday, June 14th, 2018by: Emma Davis, The Chronicle of Social Change Read the original article New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is facing a major challenge to his overhaul of the city’s juvenile justice system. As he prepares to move dozens of teen inmates out of the infamous adult prison on Rikers Island, he’s rushing to recruit hundreds […]
County to study response to new law
Saturday, May 19th, 2018The Steuben County Legislature will meet on Monday, with the top item on the agenda being a consulting deal to help determine how the county will handle the state’s new Raise the Age law requirements. Under the recent legislation, New York state will raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18, no longer automatically prosecuting […]
Raise the age law a dilemma
Friday, May 4th, 2018JOHNSTOWN — The Fulton County Probation Department is working with other county agencies to learn about the state’s new “Raise the Age” laws involving arrested teens, which goes into effect this fall. Probation Director Cynthia Licciardi briefed the Board of Supervisors’ Public Safety Committee Monday on the new law, noting the next meeting is Thursday at the […]
St. Lawrence County’s juvenile detention plan stalled, but young offenders increasing
Thursday, May 3rd, 2018CANTON — With plans to build a youth detention center in St. Lawrence County stalled, officials have submitted a plan to the state to deal with expected uptick in juvenile offenders focusing on alternatives to incarceration. Raise the Age Legislation will increase the age of criminal responsibility to 18 years of age. The new measures […]
Nonprofit funding battle continues over procurements issue
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2018The final leg has begun in the New York City budget process – and human services nonprofits are well positioned to win several important funding victories while falling short on one important front. By ZACH WILLIAMS MAY 2, 2018 As the final leg of the New York City budget process gets underway, human services nonprofits are well […]
Is New York City ready to implement Raise the Age?
Tuesday, May 1st, 2018Lots of unanswered questions seem to jeopardize the city’s ability to meet the Oct. 1 deadline for implementing Raise the Age With the mandated Oct. 1 deadline for the Raise the Age legislation looming, nonprofits, corrections officers, and city council members remain skeptical about the city’s ability to implement it. Raise the Age legislation raises […]
Raise the Age Implementation Task Force Members Announced
Monday, April 30th, 2018ALBANY – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the members of New York State’s Raise the Age Implementation Task Force. The Task Force, comprised of social service and law enforcement experts from both public and non-profit sectors, is charged with reviewing and evaluating the implementation of the historic Raise the Age Law at both the state […]
St. Lawrence County still seeking solution on ‘Raise the Age’ detention
Saturday, April 28th, 2018CANTON — With plans to build a youth detention center in St. Lawrence County stalled, officials have submitted a plan to the state to deal with expected uptick in juvenile offenders. Raise the Age Legislation will raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18 years of age. New York was previously one of only two […]
Raise the Age Urges NYC Council Members to Prioritize Age-Appropriate Staff at Youth Facilities
Thursday, April 26th, 2018April 26th, 2018 – This month marks one year since the passage of the new ‘raise the age’ law, which ends the New York State practice of automatically charging all 16- and 17-year-olds as adults in the justice system. As part of this law, New York must remove all young people under the age of 18 […]
City initiative aims to reduce number of teens sent to jail
Monday, April 23rd, 2018Mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged an annual $3 million to fund a number of programs aimed at reducing the number of 16 and 17-year-olds in city custody by another 20 percent over the next five years. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged an annual $3 […]
Cuomo administration undermines plan to move teenagers off Rikers, city says
Tuesday, April 17th, 2018The plan to move teenagers off of Rikers Island and other city jails is being “imperiled” by the Cuomo administration’s lack of financial and regulatory support, the city’s top criminal justice policy advisor said Tuesday. De Blasio administration officials want to use the state-run Ella McQueen center in Brooklyn as its intake for 16- and […]
City Council Members, Youth, Families, Service Providers, Public Defenders, and Advocates Call on the Mayor to Fulfill the Promise of Raise the Age
Tuesday, April 17th, 2018Youth, advocates, and providers urge City to reverse plan to staff detention centers with Department of Corrections staff, remove all 16 and 17-year-olds from Rikers Island by October and fully fund Raise the Age and Close to Home FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE WHAT: City Council Members, Youth, Families, Service Providers, Public Defenders, and Advocates will […]
How the 2018-19 state budget affects the nonprofit sector
Monday, April 2nd, 2018New York nonprofits scored some funding wins, but the victory was not shared across the board. New York nonprofits scored some funding wins in the final state budget for the upcoming year, but the victory was not shared across the board. More funding for social programs and human services contractors’ pay made its way into […]
Raise the Age-NY Campaign Response to the State Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Adopted Budget
Monday, April 2nd, 2018For Immediate Release: Contact: Elysia Murphy, emurphy@cccnewyork.org , (212) 673-1800 x18 The Raise the Age – New York Campaign applauds the $100 million investment in raise the age, however, we are deeply disappointed that the State’s newly adopted budget does not provide any financial support to New York City to implement the new law to […]
Change Makers: Elizabeth Powers and Stephanie Gendell, Raise the Age NY
Monday, April 2nd, 2018Until recently, New York State was one of two states in the country that treated 16- and 17-year-olds as adults in the criminal justice system. Nearly one year ago, on April 10, 2017, Governor Cuomo signed Raise the Age legislation into state law, which changed the age of criminal responsibility to 18. The law will go into […]
Raise the Age rolls out in October
Sunday, April 1st, 2018BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – State leaders earmarked 100 million dollars in this year’s budget to make sure “Raise the Age” gets off to a good start. The bill became law last session; it will change the way 16 and 17-year-olds enter the criminal justice system in New York state. “Currently if 16 or 17-year-olds are arrested […]
Raise the Age-NY Campaign Statement In Response to Assembly and Senate One House Budget Bills
Monday, March 19th, 2018For Immediate Release: Contact: Elysia Murphy, (212) 673-1800 x18, emurphy@cccnewyork.org In response to the release of the Assembly and Senate One House Budget Bills for State Fiscal Year 2018-2019, the Raise the Age-NY Campaign releases the following Statement: The Raise the Age-NY Campaign continues to be grateful to the Governor and the Legislature for passing […]
‘Raise the Age’ law will soften how some teen offenders are prosecuted
Saturday, March 10th, 2018The 16-year-old boy had armed himself with what he called “a replica gun” and robbed a woman in the parking lot of the Fashion Outlets mall. His guilty plea to that felony as an adult in a Lockport courtroom in December meant he faced as many as seven years in state prison, locked up with older, […]
Advocates Meet with Legislators in Albany on Raise the Age Funding
Friday, March 9th, 2018On Tuesday, February 27, 2018, more than two dozen youth justice advocates from across the state converged in Albany to talk with legislators about how the proposed state budget would affect the implementation of the new Raise the Age law. Last April, after years of debate, New York passed its historic Raise the Age law, […]
70+ Local Organizations Send Letter to the Mayor of NYC
Friday, March 2nd, 2018March 1, 2017 – As New York City moves forward with implementation of historic Raise the Age legislation, over 70 local organizations, including service providers, grassroots, legal, and advocacy organizations, sent a letter to Mayor de Blasio calling on him to halt the plan to staff juvenile detention facilities with Department of Correction (DOC) Officers […]
As ‘Raise the Age’ deadline nears, counties mulling options for juvenile facility
Friday, March 2nd, 2018County and local governments will be able to get financing help from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York to build juvenile housing facilities within the state’s Raise the Age standards. Last year, the state Legislature passed a budget containing the Raise the Age initiative, which raises the age of criminal responsibility to […]
On March 1, learn what criminal justice reform is about
Monday, February 19th, 2018At long last, momentum is building to address fundamental problems with our criminal justice system. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing a revamping of our discriminatory bail system, new requirements for prosecutors to share key evidence with defendants, and procedural changes to get cases resolved faster (as required by the U.S. Constitution). Westchester DA Anthony Scarpino […]
WAS RAISE THE AGE ENOUGH FOR NY? SENATE DEMS SAY NO
Wednesday, February 14th, 2018Last year, the state legislature worked through budget season to pass the Raise the Age law. But lawmakers aren’t stopping there — they’re pushing for reforms to other aspects of the criminal justice system. Nick Reisman reports. ALBANY, N.Y. — Governor Andrew Cuomo this year is pushing a range of criminal justice reforms, but Senate Democrats […]
Cuomo’s juvenile justice mistake: Proposing to defund Close to Home
Saturday, February 10th, 2018When Jeremy Taveras was 16 years old, back in 2012, he was arrested for gang-related activity. Things were turbulent at home, and he was struggling in school. A Family Court judge ordered that Jeremy be placed in a program that was new at the time, known as Close to Home. And so he lived not […]
Lawmakers ask about costs for Raise the Age, proposal to end cash bail
Tuesday, January 30th, 2018ALBANY — Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks testified before the joint legislative budget hearing on public protection Tuesday about what he sees as gains in unclogging a backed-up court system, and the $5.7 million the court system is requesting to address the new “Raise the Age” law. Marks was first to speak in an all-day […]
Raise the age law comes with challenges
Tuesday, January 30th, 2018While barely one month into 2018, there already are myriad criminal justice system and court reforms ongoing throughout the state that are expected to have a quick impact. The Herkimer County Legislature recently acknowledged receipt of a $30,200 state grant to be used by the District Attorney’s Office to help speed up the processing of […]
Editorial: Revisit teen sentences
Monday, January 29th, 2018THE ISSUE: New York will no longer treat many 16- and 17-year old offenders as adults. THE STAKES: Aren’t those already in the system worthy of a second look? — New York took an enlightened step in criminal justice last year when Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation raising the age at which young people are […]
Statement on the Budget from the Raise the Age – New York Campaign
Wednesday, January 17th, 2018The RTA-NY Campaign applauds Governor Cuomo for including $100 million for expense side services and $50 million for capital needs in the Executive Budget for SFY 2018-2019 to implement the legislation to raise the age of criminal responsibility. While we appreciate the Governor’s critical investments in raise the age, other proposed Executive Budgetary actions undermine […]
New Laws on the Books: What New Yorkers Should Know
Tuesday, January 16th, 2018By: Alyssa Pressler, Jan 16, 2018 The bell drop for 2018 brought in a new year, but also brought with it a number of fairly progressive, controversial and some much anticipated new laws to New York. Many of the new laws went into effect on Jan. 1 this year and drastically affect families and youth […]
The Top Criminal-Justice Wins of 2017
Monday, December 25th, 2017There’s no other way to put it: 2017 was bleak. Bleak because the country’s top public health organization is now prohibited from using the term “science-based.” Bleak because we’re surprised that a man accused of sexually harassing and assaulting young girls—and who extols slavery—lost an election. Bleak because the president of these United States stood in front of a portrait […]
Governor Cuomo Grants Clemency to 61 Individuals
Sunday, December 3rd, 2017Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today issued pardons to 18 individuals who are contributing members of society and face the threat of deportation and other immigration-related challenges as a result of previous convictions, pardons to 39 individuals who committed misdemeanors and non-violent crimes when they were 16 or 17 years old and have been crime free […]
More States Need to Halt Prosecution of Youth as Adults
Monday, November 6th, 2017By Maureen Washburn This month marks one year since the passage of Proposition 57, a California ballot measure that prohibited district attorneys from filing charges against youth as young as 14 directly in adult criminal court through a practice known as “direct file.” The initiative passed with 64 percent of the vote, signaling strong popular support for curtailing […]
New York counties decry ‘Raise the Age’
Saturday, October 28th, 2017ALBANY – The advocacy group for New York’s county governments said Friday the state has not provided enough information to allow local officials to prepare for requirements related to an increase in the age of criminal responsibility. The so-called Raise the Age statute increases the age by which people can be prosecuted as […]
RAISE THE AGE: HOW TO PAY FOR IT?
Thursday, October 26th, 2017Changing the state’s juvenile justice system required a new way of looking at criminal responsibility for 16- and 17-year-old offenders. And it will also require money. Law enforcement officials on the county level worry the cost will have an impact on how the law will be carried out. “The ability, I’d say, for the resources […]
Raise the Age: Turning a Reform Law Into a Reality
Wednesday, October 25th, 2017By Elizabeth Powers In April 2017, a landmark new law made New York the 49th state to acknowledge that 16- and 17-year-olds should not be automatically considered adults in the eyes of the criminal justice system. It was a hard-won victory for reformers and for many criminal justice practitioners, who had long decried the […]
A LOOK AT HOW THE RAISE THE AGE LAW CAME TO BE
Monday, October 23rd, 2017“In October 2018, a year from now, 16 year olds who commit misdemeanors will no longer be treated as adults in court. And two years from now, all minors will be given age-appropriate consequences when they commit a crime. The battle to Raise the Age of criminal responsibility was long and hard-fought by advocates and […]
What is the new sealing law?
Friday, October 13th, 2017Starting October 2017, people convicted of no more than two crimes (only one felony) may apply to have eligible NY convictions sealed if at least 10 years have passed since sentencing or release from jail or prison. What is the new sealing law? The new sealing law, passed as part of Raise the Age legislation, […]
New Laws Taking Effect – October 2017
Saturday, October 7th, 2017Please find below a chart provided by the New York State Assembly of laws passed this past year that are going into effect this month. Each bill below I supported and they touch on different areas of interest – criminal justice, recycling, seniors and vulnerable citizens rights and an effort to expand CPR training. Today […]
New law allows for sealing of records on some past convictions
Saturday, October 7th, 2017A new law takes effect today that helps people with some past criminal convictions have those records sealed. It’s part of the “Raise the Age” legislation that passed statewide in May. The new law allows an eligible individual to seek to seal past convictions if they meet certain criteria. Most crimes qualify, other than a […]
New York’s Raise the Age law going into effect
Friday, October 6th, 2017ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The New York Governor’s Office announced that the state’s Raise the Age law will go into effect on Saturday. The governor’s office says the law allows individuals who have remained crime-free for 10 years to request that certain state convictions be sealed. Excluded from sealing are convictions for sex crimes or any […]
Raise the Age Passage Celebrated
Friday, July 28th, 2017WHITE PLAINS – After several years of letter writing, petition signing, forums, news articles, social media campaigns and lobby days in Albany, the legislation known as Raise the Age of Criminal Responsibility from 16 to 18 (RTA), passed the New York State Legislature, this spring. Mary Jane Shimsky, County Leg., Cora Greenberg, WCA Exec Dir. Omar […]
What’s Next for New York’s Young People Under Raise the Age?
Sunday, July 23rd, 2017“I’ve spent 15 years working inside New York’s justice system, representing teenagers and doing research inside juvenile facilities. When the New York State Legislature passed legislation to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18, I viewed this change not as resolution of a long-standing problem within New York’s justice system, but rather […]
We Must Pair Raise the Age with Restorative Justice
Wednesday, May 31st, 2017There has been a great deal of celebration following passage of “Raise the Age,” legislation in New York that will end the practice of trying 16- and 17-year-old criminal defendants as adults. And rightfully so — this will go a long way to dam the school-to-prison pipeline; we should be cheering. But rarely does a […]
How ‘Raise the Age’ Laws Might Reduce Recidivism
Wednesday, May 31st, 2017You have to be 18 to vote in a general election or join the military without your parents’ consent — and you’ve got to be 21 before you can belly up to the bar. But in some states, if you’re under 18 and you break the law, you’ll be treated as an adult, no matter […]
NYSAC executive director talks Raise the Age task force
Thursday, May 25th, 2017Passed almost two months ago as part of New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Fiscal Year 2017-18 budget, raising the age of adult criminal responsibility for non-violent felons isn’t as simple as it might look. Last week, the New York State Association of Counties announced the deployment of an advisory group to facilitate Raise the […]
‘Raise the Age’ a victory for juvenile justice, but there’s work to be done: Editorial
Monday, May 15th, 2017New York State has shaken off an inexplicable, regressive stigma by choosing, finally, to treat 16- and 17-year-old defendants differently than adults in our court system. Under “Raise the Age” legislation passed by the state Legislature last month, most of these juvenile defendants will have their cases handled by Family Court, which is far better prepared to […]
Raise the Age raises questions for local officials
Monday, May 15th, 2017The push to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18 years old is a massive and multifaceted overhaul of the state’s criminal justice system, according to local criminal justice officials. The law, which was passed in the state budget, will affect nearly every agency involved in detaining, assessing, prosecuting and holding court […]
NY Sees Success with Raise the Age campaign
Wednesday, May 10th, 2017NY’s Successful Raise the Age Campaign After years of advocacy, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation last month that raises of the age of criminal responsibility to 18-years-old, with a two stage phase-in process. We spoke with New York Children’s Defense Fund’s Director of Youth Justice Beth Powers about the success of the Raise […]
Raise the Age to Get Appropriate Justice for All Under 18
Friday, April 28th, 2017This month, New York passed among the nation’s strongest measures to “raise the age,” making it the 49th state to refrain from trying all 16-year-old criminal defendants as adults, and the 44th state to refrain from trying all 17-year-olds as adults, once the rollout is complete in 2020. The accomplishment is significant, positively impacting thousands […]
From Raising the Age NY to Carl E. Heastie- Thank You
Friday, April 28th, 2017Dear Assembly Speaker Heastie, As members of the Raise the Age NY Campaign, we write to thank you for making Raise the Age a priority in the state budget and for passing legislation that raises the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18. This long-awaited reform will improve the lives of thousands of youth, […]
Advocates Celebrate Criminal Justice Legislative Victories
Friday, April 28th, 2017Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and members of the Assembly Majority stood with children’s and criminal justice advocates in recognition of the adoption of Raise the Age and improvements to the quality of public defense services accomplished in this year’s budget. The SFY 17-18 budget includes provisions to enact the Assembly Majority’s longstanding goal to raise […]
