The Michigan Legislature Is Sending Raise The Age to the Governor

Bipartisan Legislation Would Improve Public Safety and Result in Better Outcomes for 17-year-olds

WASHINGTON (October 16, 2019) - The Michigan Legislature has voted to finally pass its “Raise the Age” law, bipartisan legislation which will increase the age at which youth are automatically tried as adults from 17 to 18. Should the package of bills be signed into law by the Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan would become the sixth state in the last four years to enact such legislation.

Currently in Michigan, children are automatically charged as adults the day they turn 17, even for the most minor offenses, but plans to “Raise the Age” in the state have been in the works for several years. Should Michigan’s “Raise the Age” proposal become law, there will be just three states remaining that have not yet updated their requiring all 17-year-olds to be tried in adult courts.

“The Michigan Legislature has worked incredibly hard to craft this important legislation, and we are excited to see Michigan moving to adopt the best practices in youth justice that have swept across the country in recent years," said Marcy Mistrett, CEO at the Campaign for Youth Justice. "As we have seen in other states that have made this change, Michigan will see better outcomes for children, who will be protected from the harms of the adult criminal justice system, and improvements in public safety, as children who remain in the juvenile justice system have significantly lower rates of recidivism than those who are tried and punished as adults."

“Based on the experience of other states that have “Raised the Age”, the short-term costs of this reform are likely to be much less than anticipated, while the long-term benefits to Michigan will likely be significant,” Mistrett added.

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About the Campaign for Youth Justice:|
The Campaign for Youth Justice, based in Washington, DC, is dedicated to ending the practice of trying, sentencing, and incarcerating youth under 18 in the adult criminal justice system.