CJJ Today

By Angelo Pinto, Campaign Manager for the Raise the Age Campaign, The Correctional Associations of New York Governor Cuomo has announced the creation of a commission to Raise the Age of criminal responsibility in New York State. For many advocates this is a victory, however for many families and children this is a second chance at life. This is an opportunity for a system that is built on retribution and punishment to embrace the principles of forgiveness and compassion ultimately for the purpose of healing. The research has and continues to show that youth contact with the system is not an answer to public safety. It actually exacerbates crime, proliferates violence, reinforces hyper-masculinity, all the while making generations of youth (who are disproportionately black and brown and increasingly girls and non-gender conforming) disposable.