Vermont was the first state in the country to let certain 18-year-olds facing criminal charges have their cases heard in family court instead of adult criminal court. Lawmakers passed this reform, known as Raise the Age, with support from Gov. Phil Scott himself, and it was set to expand to cover 19-year-olds by July 2027.

Now Scott is calling that same law a mistake. His administration says it no longer supports adding 19-year-olds to the family court system and wants lawmakers to repeal that part of the reform entirely.

At the same time, Vermont is racing to build a new locked youth facility in South Burlington, and its plans keep shifting. The Department for Children and Families first said the facility would house youth through age 18. Then, offering a shifting explanation, officials told lawmakers it will only hold youth 17 and younger, meaning older teens could end up incarcerated out of state instead.

Vermont has been here before. The state's last long-term youth lockup, Woodside Youth Rehabilitation Center, shut down in 2020 following allegations of staff abuse. Vermont later paid a $4.5 million settlement over a lawsuit alleging excessive force there, brought on behalf of seven young people.

Rolling back Raise the Age while building a new locked facility with shifting plans and no clear oversight risks repeating that history instead of learning from it. Lawmakers should keep the Raise the Age timeline intact and require real, enforceable safeguards before the Green Mountain Youth Center opens its doors.

Sign this petition to demand Vermont protect Raise the Age and put youth safety ahead of another locked facility built without accountability.