Westchester Youth Lobby For Raise The Age Legislation In Albany

WHITE PLAINS, NY —  Westchester Children’s Association, plus approximately 20 young people from Youth Shelter Program of Westchester, Youth Shelter Program of Westchester After Care, White Plains Youth Court and Bravehearts, a peer-to-peer support and mentoring group for youth aging out of foster care, and several adults representing the League of Women Voters of New Castle, Westchester Jewish Community Services, Children’s Village, Country Children’s Center and Legal Aid Society, gathered early on Tuesday morning to make the two-hour bus trip to Albany.

The purpose for the trip was an opportunity for youth and adults that care about them to speak to state lawmakers about raising the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18 years-old in New York. Organizations from all over the state traveled to Albany to ask state lawmakers to enact a comprehensive Raise the Age policy as part of the final state budget. Right now, New York is only one of two states that automatically prosecute 16 and 17 year olds as adults. The other is North Carolina.

For more information, visit www.wca4kids.org/gps4kids.