A former commissioner of New York prisons warns changes in the age of criminal responsibility should be coupled with a well-defined process.
New York is one of two states (North Carolina is the other) where 16 and 17-year-olds are automatically put in the adult criminal justice system. This June, Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed a commission to make changes to that system.
One member of Governor’s Commission on Youth, Public Safety & Justice is Soffiyah Elijah, Executive Director of the Correctional Association of New York.
Elijah says New York’s plan for dealing with juveniles who commit crimes is out of step with national trends.
"Most other states in the country were changing their laws such that 16 and 17-year-olds were not being prosecuted as adults anymore, but New York and North Carolina didn't keep pace," said Elijah.
Brian Fischer, retired Commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, says juveniles should only be moved out of the adult system if there is a viable alternative.
"If we don't develop a system by which these individuals who are 16 and 17 go someplace else that meets their needs, then changing the law doesn't help the situation," said Fischer.
The Governor’s Commission on Youth, Public Safety & Justice appointed this June will present their recommended changes at the end of this year.