RAISE THE AGE
As of December 1, 2019 North Carolina will join the rest of the country in raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include 16 and 17 year olds. Here you will find various materials detailing the progress of N.C.’s Raise the Age initiative and OJD’s plan to prepare Juvenile Defenders for the changes in legislation.
Legislation
Here you can find the most recent legislation passed on the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction and summaries for cases influenced by the new law.
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Senate Bill 413: 2019 Session Amendments to the RTA Bill (Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act)
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Senate Bill 257: The final bill budget for Session Law 2017; info pertaining to the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act can be found on pages 309-325
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Executive Summary of RTA Bill: Our office has summarized the essential pieces of SB257 for your convenience.
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UNC School of Government SB257 Summary: Professor LaToya Powell breaks down each individual section of Senate Bill 257
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Juvenile Jurisdiction Advisory Committee (JJAC):
Here we will provide the reports/updates from JJAC as we progress toward the implementation of Raise the Age.
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January 2019 Interim Report: An update to the 2019 report, with additional legal and funding recommendations.
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March 2018 Interim Report: This report details recommendations for housing and transfers of juveniles, requests for additional staffing, funding, and capital for multiple organizations, and implementation dates for various initiatives toward Raise the Age.
Media
News articles and other media about the progress of North Carolina’s new plan to Raise the Age
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Gault at 50 & Raise the Age: In collaboration with the Administrative Office of the Courts, our office created this video acknowledging the 50th anniversary of the landmark In re Gault decision and it’s relationship to raising the age in N.C. (2017)
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NC Department of Adult Corrections and Juvenile Justice: This presentation from DACJJ Deputy Secretary William Lassiter presents points on the history, the implementation plan, and the vision for what Raise the Age will do for N.C. This video also offers suggestions to reduce recidivism, youth psychological development research, and other data.
Resoures and Links
Useful info for defenders and public audiences regarding RTA from other organizations.
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Raise the Age Stakeholders PowerPoint: A PowerPoint presentation for public view regarding the Raise the Age legislation and the impact on NC youth.
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Juvenile Jurisdiction Decision Tree: A flow chart for juvenile jurisdiction and court processes.
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NC DPS: Raise the Age: Another overview and what to expect as Raise the Age goes into effect. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety addresses facts and myths surrounding exactly what it took to pass Raise the Age and just how RTA will work in juvenile court.
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UNC-SOG Raise the Age FAQ: UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Government’s Frequently Asked Questions about the new legislation.
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Raise the Age – Law Enforcement Training, October/November 2019: This presentation covers the legal requirements of the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act, often referred to as “Raise the Age.”
Background/Historical Information:
Articles and information on the History and Development of Raise the Age.
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Campaign for Youth Justice: Here you can find a compilation of reports and bills connected to N.C.’s efforts to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction. CFYJ has also created a one-page “Raise the Age
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The Resistance to Reform: In this article, Tamar Birckhead examines the history of attempts by advocates to raise the age and how the efforts failed. (2008)
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1915 Probation Courts Act transcription: Here we’ve done a separate transcription of the 1915 Probation Courts Act, using the exact language from chapter 222 of the Public Laws of North Carolina: Session 1915.