De Blasio issues letter in support of raise the age

[hrmjustin]

Josefa Velasquez


ALBANY—The de Blasio administration issued an open letter Wednesday in support of Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposal to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18. The letter is designed to push the state Legislature into acting on the plan before the session concludes later this month.

“New York state has long been a pioneer in safe and effective juvenile and criminal policies," the letter stated. "Yet, to our shame, in one area — treating 16- and 17-year-olds as adults in the criminal justice system — we are behind all but one other state in the country.” New York and North Carolina are the only two states that prosecute some 16- and 17-year-olds as adults.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2015/06/8569339/de-blasio-issues-letter-support-raise-age?top-featured-1

[msongs]

1. age is an arbitrary choice and means nothing..see how easily it can be changed to suit the needs

of those who want it changed. 18 is just a tradition, not any logical marker.