LANSING (WWJ) -- A new law in Michigan will greatly affect young people who have been charged with criminal offenses.
Beginning on Friday, minors in Michigan who have been in trouble with the law won’t be charged as adults until they are 18 -- a year older than the previous age threshold of 17.
Gabrielle French with the Michigan Center for Youth Justice approves of the decision, telling WWJ’s Roberta Jassina that juvenile court often provides more resources that are necessary for young people who are still developing.
“Kids who are 17 previously automatically went to adult court, and now they’ll be going to juvenile court,” French explained. “This is critical because this means that those kids can now get developmentally and age-appropriate services that the juvenile court offers that the adult court does not.”
French also added that young people in adult court were at a higher risk of suicide, depression, and becoming a victim in prison.
Most crimes will be considered under the new age threshold, but those who have committed violent acts could still be prosecuted as adults under the prosecutor's discretion.
Michigan is one of the last states to implement the change, subsequently reducing the number of youth being charged as adults across the country from 76,000 to 40,000.
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