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| Keep youths out of adult court |
| By newsobserver.com - Jamie Vaske and John F. Whitmire Jr. |
| Published: 04/30/2013 |
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In North Carolina, it is possible for a 16-year-old who stole a bag of chips or got into a school yard scuffle to end up with a permanent criminal record that keeps him from joining the military, accessing enough financial aid to attend college or even passing a simple background check to get a low-wage job. This lack of opportunity leads some down the road to homelessness, struggles with addiction or more serious criminal behaviors. It’s a scenario that approximately 11,000 teenagers face each year in this state, because North Carolina is one of only two states that place all 16- and 17-year-olds directly into the adult criminal justice system, no matter what level of crime they are charged with. And each case demonstrates a number of the significant moral and social scientific reasons that lawmakers should pass House Bill 725, “Young Offenders Rehabilitation Act,” which over the next four years raises the age for prosecution of misdemeanors (though not felonies) in the adult system to 18. Read More. |
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