The Michigan Senate Has Voted to Raise The Age

New Legislation Would Improve Public Safety and Result in Better Outcomes for Vulnerable Young People

WASHINGTON (April 24, 2019) - The Michigan Senate has voted to increase the age at which youth are automatically tried as adults from 17 to 18. Should the legislation pass the House of Representatives and be signed into law by the Governor, Michigan would become the sixth state in the last four years to enact such legislation.

Michigan is one of just four states that has yet to update its laws that require all 17-year-olds to be tried in adult courts. 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.

“This legislation has been carefully considered and diligently pursued, and we are so happy to now see Michigan moving to Raise the Age." said Marcy Mistrett, CEO at the Campaign for Youth Justice. "As we have seen in other states that have made this change, this legislation will lead to better outcomes for children, who will be protected from the harms of the adult criminal justice system, and for 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."

“As we have seen in other states, we anticipate that the short-term costs of this reform will be much less than anticipated, while the long-term benefits to the Michigan economy will 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.