Raising the Age: Shifting to a Safer and More Effective Juvenile Justice System

This report from Justice Policy Institute highlights lessons learned from states that have raised the age of juvenile court jurisdiction, including Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. The report examines state fiscal data, juvenile legal system data, crime trends, confinement data, recidivism research, and case studies to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of Raise the Age legislation. The report finds that states that raised the age of juvenile court jurisdiction did not experience the dramatic cost increases that opponents predicted. In Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, projected costs were significantly overstated or never materialized. States that raised the age of juvenile court jurisdiction experienced declines in youth arrests, a reduction in pretrial detention and confinement, and expanded community-based and mental health services for youth.