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Health & Fitness

CLARK: Expand Juvenile Jurisdiction, Increase Public Safety

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 30, 2013
CONTACT: Jessica Leitz, 617-722-1206 

BOSTON, MA— State Senator Katherine Clark announced that the Senate has passed legislation to raise the age of jurisdiction for the juvenile court system by one year: from age 17 to 18. 

Presently, all 17 year-olds arrested in the Commonwealth are automatically charged as adults.  Yet among the more than 5,000 17 year-olds arrested each year, over 90% of the charges they face are for non-violent crimes.  

These 17 year-olds relegated to the adult court system are more likely to reoffend, to reoffend more quickly and to commit more serious crimes.  In addition, young people housed in adult prisons are at greater risk for physical and sexual abuse, and even suicide.  And federal standards require that prisons and jails segregate inmates who are under 18 from adult inmates, which is costly to build and manage.  

“This bill has been a priority for me this session: raising the age of jurisdiction will improve public safety, reduce recidivism, improve outcomes for adolescent offenders, and save money,” said Senator Clark. “Our juvenile justice system is designed to deal with adolescents and their families, ensuring more successful outcomes than the adult system and utilizing less costly community based services.” 

Today’s bipartisan Senate action would raise the age of jurisdiction to 18, bringing Massachusetts in line with 39 other states and the federal government, all of which use 18 as the age of adult criminal jurisdiction.  However, the legislation would not change the law mandating that a 17 year-old accused of murder be tried and sentenced as an adult, nor would they prevent a 17 year-old accused of other serious crimes from being indicted as a youthful offender and given an adult sentence.  

Senator Clark made this legislation a priority this year and, as Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, scheduled this bill to be heard at the Committee’s first hearing of the session. The Committee favorably reported the bill in May, and the measure passed the House of Representatives unanimously earlier this year. The legislation enjoys bipartisan support and that of law enforcement, child advocates and the Juvenile Court.  It now moves forward for the Governor’s signature. 

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