HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES-2017-033 Resolution in Support of Raising the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction in NC and in Support of House Bill 280 RES-2017-033
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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF RAISING THE AGE OF JUVENILE
JURISDICTION IN
NORTH CAROLINA AND IN SUPPORT OF HOUSE BILL 280
WHEREAS, House Bill 280, the "Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act", would raise the age of
juvenile jurisdiction to include 16- and 17-year-old youth, except in the case of certain felonies
and motor vehicle laws; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina is the only state in the United States that automatically prosecutes
16- and 17-year-old youth as adults,regardless of the severity of the crime; and
WHEREAS, adolescents prosecuted in the juvenile justice system are less likely to commit
another crime than are those tried in the adult system, which results in lower costs to society and
more children growing up to become educated, employed individuals; and
WHEREAS, evidence shows that the juvenile justice system, with programs tailored to how
children think and learn, is more effective at rehabilitating youth, and research in neuroscience
and psychology proves that brain development continues well into a person's 20s; and
WHEREAS, although the juvenile crime rate has been declining in North Carolina, in 2014
alone, more than 17,000 misdemeanor charges were filed against 16- and 17-year-olds statewide;
and
WHEREAS, 96.7 percent of crimes committed by 16- and 17-year-olds in North Carolina in
2014 were either misdemeanors (80.4 percent) or nonviolent felonies (16.3 percent); and
WHEREAS, even when charges are dismissed, there remain the long-term consequences of a
public record that affect a young person's ability to be hired for a job, to be eligible for college
financial aid, or to enlist in the military; and
WHEREAS, the negative effects of the criminal justice system have a disproportionate impact
on people of color; for example, African American youth make up two-thirds of the youth
prosecuted in the adult system, are nine times more likely than white youth to receive an adult
prison sentence, and are more likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system
because of the school-to-prison pipeline; and
WHEREAS, raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction will lead to long-term financial savings,
safer communities, better academic results, and overall better outcomes for youth; and
WHEREAS, in 2016, the North Carolina Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice
under the leadership of Mark Martin, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina,
made a recommendation in favor of raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association, the North Carolina Police Benevolent
Association, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, the North Carolina
Association of Chiefs of Police, and the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce Legal Institute
support raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include 16- and 17-year-olds; and
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners adopted raising the age
of juvenile jurisdiction from 16 to 18 in its 2017-2018 Legislative Goals, placing it within the top
five priority goals for the session;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners
supports raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include 16- and 17-year-olds for all crimes
except violent felonies and motor vehicle offenses;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners encourages
the North Carolina General Assembly to adopt House Bill 280 and to approve all necessary
funding that such a change may require;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners directs
the Clerk to the Board to send copies of this resolution to the members of the Orange County
legislative delegation.
This the 16th day of May, 2017.
Mark Dorosin, it
* a Orange County Board o Commissioners
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