The Chief Leader: New Issues in Shift Of 17-Year-Old Inmates
“Under Raise the Age, older adolescents in New York City have better access to age-appropriate services and programs designed to promote rehabilitation, positive behavior change and successful re-entry into the community all while preserving the safety and security of youth and staff and protecting public safety,” he said.
But some advocates worried that the influx of 17-year olds might strain the justice system: the city has estimated that annually, up to 25 percent more 17-year olds were arrested than 16-year olds.
Alice Fontier, managing director of the public-defender nonprofit the Bronx Defenders, told the news outlet The City that because the number of cases being handled could double, she feared that “we are going to see even longer arrest-to-arraignment times. And that’s a real issue.”
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