New York Governor Kathy Hochul has opted not to tackle major public safety issues, particularly the controversial Raise the Age law, in her proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Despite earlier hints that she might be open to revising parts of the law amidst pressuring advocacy from law enforcement groups, her budget proposal announced on Tuesday shows no sign of such changes. The Raise the Age law, enacted in 2019, lifted the age of criminal responsibility in the state from 16 to 18, thereby precluding most young teens from being initially tried as adults for non-felonies.
Critics, such as NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and various prosecutors believe the law is at fault for a rise in violence involving youth. District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly, president of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, conveyed frustration with Hochul's claimed success in the area of criminal justice reform. "We have seen limitations and shortcomings in the law, as well as inconsistencies in how the law is interpreted," Donnelly said in a statement, emphasizing the need for a thorough examination of the Raise the Age and its impact, according to a report by the New York Post.
Nonetheless, Hochul maintains that necessary reforms have been addressed, boasting, "We got them done," as reported by the New York Post. This position aligns with the views of certain lawmakers and a coalition of advocacy groups supporting the current law. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie alongside other Democrats have praised Hochul for avoiding rollbacks, with Heastie opining, "I still believe young people's brains are not fully developed at 16 or 17," as mentioned on Gothamist.
Advocates, concerned about the repeated threats to Raise the Age, focus on the $1 billion in unused funds intended to support programs to help keep youth out of trouble. "Raise the Age is not the problem, the problem is that the funding is not reaching these young people where they need the help," said Jason Rodriguez, a policy research associate with the Legal Action Center who was previously incarcerated as reported by the Gothamist. Rodriguez and others fear the fight to protect the law will resurface after the November election and are preparing to defend it.
The governor hinted at possible policy surprises tucked within budget discussions, meanwhile her budget maintains the status quo on Raise the Age. Advocacy groups are looking ahead, ready to mobilize to support the progressive approach to youth crime and rehabilitation. "We’re still in 2026 having a conversation about whether children should be locked up with adults and whether resources that were promised to them should be allotted," Messiah Ramkissoon, an associate executive director with the Youth Justice Network stated to the Gothamist.
