2012

Close to Home legislation replaces many of the large youth detention centers with small residential programs, where youth receive therapeutic services. Under this legislation, judges should send children to group homes closer to their families and communities.

2017 2018 & 2019

Raise the Age legislation passes after years of stakeholder campaigning. New York raises the age of criminal responsibility to 18. Before this, New York was one of the only two states in the country that automatically prosecuted 16 and 17 year olds as adults.

Raise the Age also creates "Youth

Parts" of criminal court to process 16 and 17-year-olds. It also creates the Adolescent Diversion Program as an opportunity to resolve cases without conviction and sentencing.

Raise the Age is implemented in parts. In October 2018, it takes effect for 16-year-olds. In October 2019, it takes effect for 17-year-olds.

NYPD make more than 34,000 arrests of children annually.

There are police officers in every single public school in New York

City. Youth, especially Black and brown youth, are caught and criminalized in a harmful system.

New York legislature passes a bill that will raise the minimum age for juvenile delinquency from 7 to

12. The bill makes 13 the minimum age for incarceration. Children ages 7-11 will no longer be arrested. The bill creates alternative supports for children 7-11 and some for 12-year-olds. It is still unclear what these supports will look like and if they will be compulsory and/or punitive.