Get Children out of the Adult System: Justice for Juveniles

Raise the Age of Juvenile Court Jurisdiction

Greetings,

I recently learned that North Carolina, unlike every other state in the nation except New York, still prosecutes all 16- and 17-year-olds accused of a crime in the adult criminal justice system, with no exceptions or waivers. A legislative Task Force has been studying the issue for two years and, in January 2011, recommended that this outdated law be changed so that youth accused of minor crimes are handled in the juvenile system.

Bi-partisan bills were entered during the 2011 session in the House (HB 632) and the Senate (SB 506). I am writing to urge you to support raising the age for youth accused of minor crimes, and to thank you if you already do.

Of the more than 30,000 minors in North Carolina’s adult system, 97% are accused of low-level crimes. The Youth Accountability Task Force has recommended that the age be raised to 18 for those youth accused of low-level crimes. Under the Task Force's recommendation and the pending bills, youth who commit serious felonies would continue to be handled in the adult system. For more information about the Youth Accountability Task Force, please visit http://www.ncdjjdp.org/taskForce.html.

I have signed on to the Raise the Age Statement of Principles (below), along with many state organizations like the Pediatrics Society, the United Way and the PTA. Will you sign on? Please contact Brandy Bynum at Action for Children North Carolina (brandy@ncchild.org) to sign on or for more information about the science and policy behind raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction.

Raise the Age Statement of Principles

WHEREAS:

1. Children are our most vital and valuable resource and investing in each of them is investing in our collective future; and

2. An adolescent mistake should not determine a child’s outcome in life; and

3. Research should inform policy and practices; and

4. Current brain research demonstrates that adolescence is a developmental phase and youth do not have adults’ ability to make informed choices and plan for the long-term; and

5. Because of their still-developing brains, adolescents need guidance through the transition from childhood to adulthood; and

6. Community institutions like schools, the faith community and child and family-serving agencies should provide supports and guidance to parents; and

7. The adult criminal justice system is not structured to handle the developmental, educational or social needs of children; and

8. The juvenile justice system provides the developmentally-appropriate programs, services and punishments that can help parents nurture and guide young people as they grow into productive adult citizens; then

We believe North Carolina’s policy-makers, communities, advocates and government systems should work to:

I. Keep children and youth out of the criminal justice system whenever possible by addressing their needs and those of their families early and effectively through prevention and intervention.

II. Continue to build a juvenile justice system that offers age-appropriate treatment and services, therapy, education, job skills training and punishment and further enhance the system to support and promote evidence-based programs.

III. Ensure that all youth under age 18 charged with a crime start in the juvenile justice system, are treated in an age-appropriate manner and are provided with developmentally appropriate, evidenced-based services and supports. Ensure that sanctions, when needed, are appropriate to a youth’s developmental stage.

IV. Fully fund local Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils and the state Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to ensure the availability of evidence-based and developmentally appropriate programs and services.

State Organizational Supporters

Action for Children North Carolina
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)-North Carolina
Carolina Justice Policy Center
Children and Family Services Association-NC (Benchmarks)
Children’s Home Society of North Carolina
Communities In Schools of North Carolina
Covenant with North Carolina’s Children
Disability Rights North Carolina
Eckerd Youth Alternatives
El Pueblo, Inc.
Leadership CONNECTIONS, Inc.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – North Carolina
North Carolina Advocates for Justice
North Carolina Council of Churches
North Carolina Families United, National Federation of Families, Inc.
North Carolina Justice Center
North Carolina PTA
North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (Smart Start)
North Carolina Pediatrics Society
North Carolina School Community Health Alliance
North Carolina Social Justice Project, Inc.
Office of the Juvenile Defender
Public School Forum of North Carolina
SaySo, Inc. (Strong Able Youth Speaking Out)
United Way of North Carolina

Local Organizational Supporters

Alexander Youth Network (Charlotte)
Bringing About Change, Inc. (Fayetteville)
Caught Before Fallen (Rocky Mount)
Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County
Children First/Communities In Schools of Buncombe County
Council for Children’s Rights (Charlotte)
DHO Consulting, Inc. (Raleigh)
Eliada Homes and Foundation, Inc. (Asheville)
Goldsboro Pediatrics, PA
Great Expectations (Greensboro)
Jackson County Psychological Services, P.A.
Mirroring Society (Raleigh)
Mountain Youth Resources (Sylva)
Thompson Child & Family Focus (Charlotte)
Youth Homes, Inc. (Charlotte)

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