Senator Montgomery stands with Speaker Heastie and thanks him for his leadership on Raise the Age

I would like to thank Speaker Carl Heastie for his leadership on Raise the Age. I stand with him and the Assembly Democrats as they negotiate for REAL juvenile justice reform. I am deeply disappointed that my colleagues in the Senate have resorted to fear mongering and misinformation in their efforts to derail Raise the Age reform in New York State.

I have visited too many correctional facilities, sat in too many courtrooms with constituents and their families, visited too many youth detention facilities and fought too long for juvenile and criminal justice reform to not know the difference.

I have visited other parts of the state where local governments understand the importance of treating children as children and where records of juvenile arrests are not even kept to prevent youth offenders from having their futures irrevocably damaged.

Every child in our state deserves the opportunity for a second chance.  

Recently, I reconnected with a constituent whose grandson almost became another Kalief Browder if not for the support of his community. I was so proud to learn that this young man is now in college and on the path to a promising future. This encounter reminded me that too many of our children are not as fortunate and renewed my resolve to Raise the Age right. 

The Senate Democratic Conference, Speaker Heastie and the Assembly Democrats and the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus members are united in support (S4157/A4876). This bill differs significantly from Governor Cuomo's Raise the Age budget proposal which adds 60 new offenses that would send children into adult criminal court; force young people to wait 10 years to have their juvenile records sealed; would send simple drug possession, traffic and vehicular violations into adult criminal court and would be phased in over a period of time. In addition, the Governor's proposal allocates $110 million to build a new youth detention facility upstate after we spent years fighting to close underutilized facilites which employed more staff than children.

I have repeatedly called on my colleagues in the State Senate to join the Senate Democratic Conference, Speaker Heastie and the Assembly Democrats and the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus members to Raise the Age right and support (S4157/A4876) which will keep children in family court, out of Rikers Island and invests in restorative justice and alternative to incarceration programs. 

As Speaker Heastie noted, "Raising the age is not about a 'free pass.' Rather, it is about adopting age appropriate alternatives to address these cases. Thoughtful and responsible public policy has been adopted in 48 other states and it is unconscionable that any New Yorker would want to continue this abhorrent practice. "

To read Speaker Heastie's full statement on Raise the Age, visit http://nyassembly.gov/Press/20170403/