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Reflections on the Raise the Age Policy Recommendations
Feb 4, 2015By: Justine Gonzalez
On January 8, 2014, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in his State of the State address that “our juvenile justice laws are outdated.” Noting that New York remains one of only two states that continues to prosecute youth as adults beginning at age 16, the Governor said, “It’s not right. It’s not fair. We must raise the age.” On April 9, 2014, Governor Cuomo officially announced his appointees to the Commission on Youth, Public Safety and named as its co-chairs, Soffiyah Elijah (Executive Director of The Correctional Association of New York) and Jeremy Creelan (Partner, Jenner & Block and former Special Counsel to Gov. Cuomo). The Commission’s purpose was to propose recommendations on how to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction and generally improve outcomes for young people involved in New York’s juvenile justice system while continuing to strengthen public safety. The Commission was comprised of members representing a diverse group of stakeholders including representatives from the law enforcement, probation, advocacy, court system, and philanthropic communities…
Originally posted on New York Juvenile Justice Initiative