Brooklyn leads city in transferring youth offenders out of criminal court
New York State’s 2018 law designed to move most 16-year-old felony law-breakers out of criminal court has been rolled out more successfully in Brooklyn than any other borough in the city, according to statistics compiled by the state.
The law, dubbed “Raise the Age,” was passed in 2017 and sought to end the common practice of treating criminal justice-involved 16- and 17-year-old adolescents in the state as adults, even for lower-level felonies. The rollout began in October 2018 for 16-year-olds and is set to be implemented in October 2019 for 17-year-olds.
In Brooklyn, the new law has had early success, with 16-year-olds transferred out of criminal court and into family court or the new youth section of criminal court 92 percent of the time, according to state statistics. The citywide statistics hover around 79 percent.