In 2017, New York passed Raise The Age law, effectively ending the practice of automatically charging 16- and 17-year-olds as adults. This was a strong start for our state, but there’s a lot more work to be done to help young people and communities thrive.
Impact of Raise the Age
Before Raise the Age was law:
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Nearly 28,000 16- and 17-year olds faced possible prosecution as adults in criminal court each year.
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Over 70% of these arrests were for misdemeanors.
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More than 600 children ages 13 to 15 were processed in adult criminal courts annually.
What Happens When a Child is Detained in New York
Since the law went into full effect in 2019, it changed the way children’s cases proceed through the court system depending on the level of offense and severity of the charge.
Learn More About the Coaliton
Raise the Age NY (RTANY) is a public awareness campaign for fair and effective criminal justice policies in New York that improve outcomes for children and public safety. Campaign members include national and local advocates, youth, parents, law enforcement and legal representative groups, faith leaders, and unions that have come together to increase public awareness of New York state’s new Raise the Age law and the need to ensure that its implementation creates a legal process that responds to all children as children and meets the rehabilitative needs of all children and youth.
History of Raise the Age
In 2019, the Raise the Age New York law fully phased in, ending our state’s practice of automatically charging all 16- and 17-year-olds as adults for any offense. The Raise the Age coalition played an instrumental role in its passage.
The Work Continues
Since Raise the Age passed in 2017, advocates have focused on various campaigns for youth justice in New York State.