LANSING — Today, the Michigan Senate passed “Raise the Age” legislation, led by Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit), to raise the age of convicted individuals in Michigan prosecuted as adults from 17 to 18.
“There has been little good to come out of prosecuting our children as adults, and I look forward to them returning back into their schools and workplaces instead of a state prison,” Sen. Santana said. “In nearly every state, our children are treated appropriately based on their age, but not in Michigan. I am grateful my colleagues in the House and Senate came together for such a major reform, and I look forward to the Governor putting her signature on these bills so justice can be delivered to our youth.”
Michigan is one of only four remaining states in the nation that treats 17-year-olds as adults in the criminal justice system. However, research has consistently shown that this approach does not make communities any safer and can do more harm to the individual during, and after, their incarceration.
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