United States: the importance of raising the age of criminal responsibility

Raising the age for criminal responsibility of juveniles is an issue on the front lines of criminal justice reform. Raise the age bills have been passed at some point in almost all 50 states and allow for juveniles to be treated as juveniles unless they have committed certain violent offenses, such as murder, rape and armed robbery.

In those instances of serious crimes like murder, rape and armed robbery, the offender can still be tried in adult courts due to the severity of these crimes. Giving juveniles who commit crime the chance to go into the juvenile system increases the chances of successful rehabilitation by providing them counselors, classes and community service opportunities to teach them how to be productive members of society.

The CDC states that including 17 year-olds in the juvenile system reduces recidivism by 34%. Not only does rehabilitating juveniles increase public safety, but it also saves tax payers money and increases economic productivity. In Wisconsin, a study has found there is an estimated $5.8 million saved for every 1,000 youths that are put into the juvenile system instead of the adult system.

These savings can be seen in reduced law enforcement costs, court costs and a reduction in the number of crimes committed. North Carolina has recently passed legislation on raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction to 18. They found 96.7% of the state’s convictions of 16 and 17 year-olds in 2016 were for nonviolent misdemeanors or nonviolent felonies.

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