As other states around the country in which the age of adult court jurisdiction is lower than 18 are changing, it is time for Wisconsin to use what we have learned over the past seventeen years about adolescent brain development, what works with youthful offenders, and what the research confirms – that we can keep the community safer and have better long-term outcomes for youth if we take steps to return most seventeen year olds to juvenile court.  We also know that the vast majority of offenses committed by seventeen year olds are not violent or serious offenses.

Based on arrest data from the Office of Justice Assistance, the chart shows that only around 5% of offenses will fall within the category of violent or serious offenses.  Seventeen year olds arrested for the first time for non-violent and less serious offenses deserve a second chance – a chance to have their offense dealt with in juvenile court rather than starting out in the adult system. WCCF will continue to work with others to ensure that seventeen year olds get that second chance.

by Jim Moeser