The Appeal: New York Just Changed the Way it Prosecutes Kids, But Some Got Left Behind

“If the District Attorney’s office believes every gun possession case is ‘extraordinary,’ they misunderstand the nature of Raise the Age. A blanket position that every firearm possession amounts to ‘extraordinary circumstances’ would be an attempt to get around the intent of Raise the Age and to continue using the adult criminal justice system against children.”

Raise the Age purports to treat adolescents as adolescents, but is being skirted to continue the illogical and harmful practice of prosecuting some youth as adults.

As our Gregg Stankewicz notes, the vast majority of youth grow out of the behavior that results in arrests. “For the health of the community and the child, we need a more rehabilitative system that’s focused on repair.”