Cuomo Wants to Treat More Offenders as Juveniles

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday that he wants to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18. The move would shift non-violent offenses for those under 18 to family court and keep more young people out of adult jails.

The governor made the announcement following recommendations from a panel he created called the Commission on Youth, Public Safety and Justice, which issued a 200-page report.

"You put a 16 and a 17-year-old in a state prison, there is no way they're not going to come out worse than they went in, which is the exact opposite of what we're trying to accomplish," said Cuomo speaking by phone at the National Action Network's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Policy Forum.

The Commission recommends the state build new, smaller juvenile facilities, stop jailing low risk offenders and invest more in support and diversion programs.

The panel's co-chair, Jeremy Creelan, said details will have to be refined during the legislation writing process, but he said the plans would reduce recidivism. He said when similar rules were implemented in Connecticut and Illinois, both arrests and recidivism declined dramatically. 

Young people charged with serious crimes will still have their cases heard in adult courts. Then, a judge will decide whether to transfer the case to family court.

The panel's recommendations would be phased in from 2016 to 2018.