Governor Whitmer signed legislation on October 31 that would raise the age offenders could be tried as adults, going from 17 to 18 years old. Known as the Raise the Age bills, the bipartisan legislation features sponsored bills from both the House and the Senate.
Governor Whitmer signed legislation on October 31 that would raise the age offenders could be tried as adults, going from 17 to 18 years old. Known as the Raise the Age bills, the bipartisan legislation features sponsored bills from both the House and the Senate. It includes youth rehabilitation and support for youth who encounter the criminal justice system.
“I’m proud that Michigan has joined 46 other states in ending the unjust practice of charging and punishing our children as adults when they make mistakes,” Governor Whitmer said in a press release. “These bills will strengthen the integrity of our justice system by ensuring that children have access to due process that is more responsive to juveniles.”
Michigan is one of only four states that prosecutes 17-year-olds as adults for non-violent crimes. Provisions in the new legislation will allow for youth who commit violent crimes to still be prosecuted as adults.
“We can’t go back in time, but we can move the stick now and say what’s going to happen in the future,” Sen. Pete Lucido, R-Shelby Township, said in an interview with MLive. Lucido was among the lead sponsors of Raise the Age bills from the State Senate.
The new legislation is set to take effect in October 2021. It is expected to save taxpayer money by decreasing the amount of repeat juvenile offenders who are housed in Michigan prisons.
Advocates of the legislation believe this shift will allow youth in the criminal justice system to have a better chance of rehabilitation.
“Today’s action is a win for child well-being and safety, a win for racial equity, a win for bipartisanship, a win for our local communities and economies, and a win for our national reputation,” Gilda Z. Jacobs, President and CEO, the Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP), said in a statement.
The issue has been one of prominence for the MLPP and its Kids Count efforts, which measures children’s well-being at both the state and local levels and uses the data is collects to advocate for children. Funding for Kids Count’s Michigan is provided by eight CMF members, including The Skillman Foundation, The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, The Steelcase Foundation, The Frey Foundation, The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, The DTE Energy Foundation, The Ford Motor Company Fund, The Battle Creek Community Foundation and the Ruth Mott Foundation, with additional funding from the American Federation of Teachers Michigan, the Michigan Education Association and United Way for Southeastern Michigan.
Additional CMF members have advocated for changes in laws pertaining to minors in the criminal justice system. The Hudson-Webber Foundation has been one such member leading the charge.
“We are delighted to see Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sign legislation increasing the jurisdiction of juvenile court in Michigan to age 18, a key recommendation surfaced at our Michigan Roundtable on Safety and Justice,” Melanca Clark, president, The Hudson-Webber Foundation told CMF. “Committed advocates like the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency and the Michigan League for Public Policy have fought hard to remove Michigan from the short list of states with antiquated laws that allow 17-year-olds to be automatically treated as adults for any offense, and we are thrilled to see their efforts bear fruit."
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Read Gov. Whitmer’s press release.
