Time to #RaiseTheAge

Jesse Hamilton

December 29, 2016

New York is one of only two states in the United States that treats 16 and 17 yr olds the same as adults in the criminal justice system.
45,000 teenagers are put into adult prisons every year in New York.
Taxpayers in New York State are paying nearly $120 million a year to jail 16- and 17-year-olds.
Imprisoning youth can have severe detrimental effects on their long-term economic productivity.
The vast majority of youth arrests are for minor crimes (74 percent are misdemeanors) including not paying fare for a subway or bus.
The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission reports youth in adult prisons face the highest risk of sexual assault.
Studies show that youth in adult prisons are twice as likely to report being beaten by staff, and 50% more likely to be attacked with a weapon.
Youth are 36 times more likely to commit suicide in an adult facility than in a juvenile facility.