Advocates are worried about how New York is discussing youth crime.
State data indicate some counties are experiencing a decline in juvenile crime but others are seeing gradual increases. The New York City Mayor’s Management Report found youth arrests for major felonies have grown since 2020. Some public officials blame the increase in felony arrests on the 2017 “Raise the Age” law, which made it so 16- and 17-year-olds could no longer be prosecuted as adults.
Julia Davis, youth justice and child welfare director for the Children’s Defense Fund of New York, defended the law, saying it also provides funds to keep kids out of trouble.
“That money is available for counties across the state to build the types of programs and services that are really about moving away from adult prosecution and moving towards rehabilitation, services and programs,” Davis explained. “So we don’t have kids going through the revolving door of the criminal legal system.”
Davis believes youth crime rhetoric today is similar to the 1990s. She said the era was characterized by villainizing kids as dangerous to communities. She added instead of giving up on youth crime solutions like the 2017 law, further investments are needed to attack the core issues kids are facing.
A John Jay College of Criminal Justice report showed overall, New York City youth crime is lower than when Raise the Age became law, despite the increase in felony arrests.
However, cuts to various federal programs and grants put a wrinkle in New York’s ability to further address youth crime. In April, the Trump administration cut 373 Department of Justice grants valued at about $820 million. Davis noted New York City cannot access “Raise the Age” funds, making it harder to tackle youth crime.
“The city should have its share,” Davis argued. “New York City represents about half of the youth justice system, so the fact that it hasn’t been able to tap into that $250 million of state appropriations every year is a missed opportunity, both for young people and for community safety.”
She stressed the city and state can build off the work they have done so far by developing strengths rather than reacting to a crisis. One way to do it, Davis feels, is to pass a bill to create a Youth Justice Innovation Fund. It would utilize unspent “Raise the Age” funds and put them into grants for community organizations to directly access.
Edwin is a reporter and producer in North Tonawanda, New York. He’s previously reported for the Niagara Gazette and the Ithaca Times. Edwin got an early start in radio interning for WBFO-88.7FM, NPR’s Buffalo affiliate. In 2018, he graduated from SUNY Buffalo State College with a B.A. in Journalism, and in 2022, graduated from Syracuse University with an M.S. in Communications.