On April 10, 2017, after years of grassroots and community pressure, Governor Cuomo signed into law the “Raise the Age” (RTA) legislation. The law will be phased in so that the presumptive age of adult prosecution is raised to 17 effective 10/1/18 and then to 18 effective 10/1/19. This legislation is a critical victory. It reflects the growing legal and scientific consensus that youth should not be punished as adults, but rather held accountable in a justice system designed to address their unique developmental needs. Raise the Age has the potential to reduce racial disparities and improve outcomes for justice involved youth by shielding them from the lifelong consequences of adult criminal justice involvement, ultimately increasing public safety for all New Yorkers.
The new legislation also leaves an enormous amount of work to be done. Young New Yorkers and their families, especially youth of color, are counting on a smooth and effective implementation of the RTA legislation that includes more equitable and developmentally appropriate court processes, services and placements for justice-involved teenagers. Youth Represent, in collaboration with researchers at the City University of New York (CUNY), propose to study the implementation and impact of the RTA legislation in an effort to determine its effectiveness at reducing harm for 16- and 17-year-old youth in New York.
This research is imperative. This study will not only serve to hold the courts and this legislation accountable, it will also serve as a model for how to evaluate criminal justice policies with justice involved youth in a way that takes their expertise seriously, teaches them important skills, promotes their dignity, and refuses to partake in the devaluing process that so often accompanies incarceration.
