New York Governor Kathy Hochul has sidestepped a contentious fight with fellow Democrats over reforming the youth criminal justice law in her latest budget proposal. The move comes after sustained lobbying from prosecutors, police, and law enforcement groups who had urged changes to the landmark Raise the Age law, which increased the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18.
Hochul's decision not to revise the law has been welcomed by many Democrats, with state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins describing it as "helpful" for the budget process. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie also expressed his support for the current law, stating that young people's brains are not fully developed until they are 16 or 17.
However, not everyone is pleased with Hochul's decision. Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly criticized the governor's claim that necessary reform of the law had already been achieved, saying she was "very frustrated" by this assertion. Donnelly and her organization, the New York District Attorneys Association, are pushing for targeted revisions to the law, including moving more juvenile gun possession cases back into criminal court.
Advocates for the Raise the Age law argue that it has led to a decline in youth crime rates since its passage in 2017, and that more funding is needed to support community-based programs, counseling, and wraparound services. They point to data showing that over $1.7 billion set aside by the state remains unspent.
Critics of the law, including former inmate Jason Rodriguez, say that it is not the problem with the system, but rather the lack of funding for these critical services. Rodriguez stated, "We're still in 2026 having a conversation about whether children should be locked up with adults and whether resources that were promised to them should be allotted." Messiah Ramkissoon, associate executive director of the Youth Justice Network, echoed this sentiment, saying, "We're not as far along as we should be."
With the November election approaching, advocates for the Raise the Age law are bracing themselves for a potential resurgence in efforts to roll back or repeal the law. As one advocate warned, "We'll be ready to fight" if that happens.
Hochul's decision not to revise the law has been welcomed by many Democrats, with state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins describing it as "helpful" for the budget process. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie also expressed his support for the current law, stating that young people's brains are not fully developed until they are 16 or 17.
However, not everyone is pleased with Hochul's decision. Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly criticized the governor's claim that necessary reform of the law had already been achieved, saying she was "very frustrated" by this assertion. Donnelly and her organization, the New York District Attorneys Association, are pushing for targeted revisions to the law, including moving more juvenile gun possession cases back into criminal court.
Advocates for the Raise the Age law argue that it has led to a decline in youth crime rates since its passage in 2017, and that more funding is needed to support community-based programs, counseling, and wraparound services. They point to data showing that over $1.7 billion set aside by the state remains unspent.
Critics of the law, including former inmate Jason Rodriguez, say that it is not the problem with the system, but rather the lack of funding for these critical services. Rodriguez stated, "We're still in 2026 having a conversation about whether children should be locked up with adults and whether resources that were promised to them should be allotted." Messiah Ramkissoon, associate executive director of the Youth Justice Network, echoed this sentiment, saying, "We're not as far along as we should be."
With the November election approaching, advocates for the Raise the Age law are bracing themselves for a potential resurgence in efforts to roll back or repeal the law. As one advocate warned, "We'll be ready to fight" if that happens.
... just saw this thread pop up and I gotta say, I'm kinda surprised the Governor went with the status quo on this one 
. Don't get me wrong, I know some folks were pushing for changes, but I think a lot of people (including me) were rooting for the law to stay intact 
. It's just been so effective in reducing youth crime rates and I feel like we're still shortchanging ourselves by not investing more in community programs 
. I mean, that $1.7 billion is a big chunk of change... what could we be doing with it instead? 
.
. And let's be real, all this extra funding for community-based programs and counseling is just common sense 
.
. I mean, what are we even doing with all that cash? Advocates for the Raise the Age law are right to be worried about a potential backlash in November... it's time for us to get serious about reforming this system 
.
Like, come on Kathy Hochul, can't you just acknowledge that some changes need to happen? 
It's not like the law has been perfect since it was passed in 2017... and don't even get me started on how much money is still unspent 
You'd think that would be enough to make a difference, right?
. It's like we're stuck in this never-ending cycle of youth incarceration... 
Will we see a resurgence of efforts to roll back or repeal the law? 
I hope not, but at the same time... how can we expect progress if we don't fight for it?! 
Let's keep pushing for those community-based programs and services! 
We need to make a difference here! 
. but advocates are saying that more funding is needed to make sure community-based programs and counseling services aren't neglected. it's a bit of an oversimplification, if you ask me.
. And then again, others say that we're still far from fixing the system because of lack of funding, which is like, totally valid too 
.
Hochul's decision to leave the law alone is def a win for the youth, but it's also super frustrating when you think about all the potential problems that could pop up now that they're not getting more funding 
But we need more resources to make this thing work properly 
. I mean, if the funds are still unspent, that's crazy 
. It's all about funding and resources, you feel me? 
, this must be really frustrating for those pushing for reform and wanting more funding for community programs 
. Can we just get some more funding already? 
still, Donnelly's got some valid points about targeted revisions to the law, maybe they should just focus on getting that $1.7 billion allocated for community programs and counseling instead of fighting over the law itself 
It's like, we know it's a complex issue, but at least some people in power are listening 
. I mean, yeah, Donnelly and others might be frustrated, but what do they really have to lose? 
), but about making sure they get the support they need to thrive.
. We'll be rooting for you, Gov Hochul! 
. I think we need to listen to what these young people have to say and make some real changes. We can't keep ignoring the fact that our system is failing them 
meanwhile, dont even get me started on the $1.7 billion still unspent 
, it's crazy how some people can just agree on not making changes to this law despite having strong opinions about it 
, but still... it's like she's giving the middle finger to her own party members 
.
. Let's get our priorities straight 
.
. Anyway, back to this youth justice law thingy... I mean, can't we all just agree that our brains aren't fully developed until like 25 or something? And shouldn't we be focusing on providing actual support services for young people instead of just locking 'em up? The more I think about it, the more I'm reminded of this one documentary I watched about a community in Canada that's basically doing youth rehabilitation on a massive scale and seeing some pretty amazing results...