As WCCF works with others in the Wisconsin 2nd Chance Alliance to raise the age of adult court jurisdiction to age 18 for first-time, non-violent youth we take note that a recent report, Removing Youth from the Adult Criminal Justice System, published by the Campaign for Youth Justice highlights changes in 23 states between 2001 and 2013. Changes include states that have raise the age of jurisdiction, limited the placement of youth in adult facilities, or modified their transfer/waiver statutes to keep more youth in juvenile court.

The trend is a recognition that the juvenile system is better able to promote community safety and get youth back on track, and over 40 pieces of legislation have been passed across these states.  This is not about “if others are doing it, I guess we should do it too”.  It is about choosing a path that is demonstrating effectiveness across the nation.      by Jim Moeser