Nassau Standard

Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz (R,C-Oyster Bay) has voiced his support for a bill aimed at reforming the Raise the Age (RTA) legislation, stating that increasing the age at which a child can be prosecuted as an adult will not lower crime rates. Blumencranz, along with local district attorneys and members of the Senate and Assembly Minority Conferences, announced the proposed conference bill designed to address the flaws in the existing RTA law.

According to recent statistics from the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) on RTA, Blumencranz highlighted concerning trends. He pointed out that in 2021, only 9 percent of 16- and 17-year-old offenders arrested for a felony were actually convicted of a felony. Additionally, despite being arrested for serious offenses such as sex crimes, robbery, and homicide, only 114 adolescent offenders received sentences exceeding one year in prison.

Blumencranz expressed his concerns about the impact of RTA, stating, "Raise the Age has made it possible for troubled youth to thumb their noses at the law." He further added, “Some teens are even being recruited by gangs and senior drug dealers for the simple fact that 16- and 17-year-olds are deemed low risk and useful for their relative immunity in criminal court proceedings. This is unacceptable and exceedingly dangerous for our children."

In light of these observations, Blumencranz emphasized the necessity of reforming RTA to ensure that adolescent offenders are held accountable for their actions. He stressed the importance of charging these individuals appropriately for any crimes committed to deter future criminal behavior.

The proposed reform aims to prevent adolescent offenders from evading liability after engaging in violent felonies and seeks to address the shortcomings of the current RTA legislation.