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Alicia Guevara Warren – Raise The Age

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Alicia Guevara Warren - Raise The Age
Alicia Guevara Warren – Raise The Age

LANSING, Mich. —The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement on the Michigan Senate’s passage of the “Raise the Age” bills this morning. The statement can be attributed to Alicia Guevara Warren, Kids Count Project Director.

“Just yesterday, we released our annual Kids Count Data Book on child well-being and the ways in which lawmakers can improve the lives of kids in our state. And today, the Senate came through on one of those major recommendations. We’re now one step closer to joining 46 other states in treating our kids as kids, and offering young offenders a chance at rehabilitation and a better life.

“We were thrilled to watch the Senate vote this morning on a package of bills to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction in Michigan from 17 to 18 years of age. For years we have worked with a strong coalition, including the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency, to make this happen, and with the help of key lawmakers, we’re getting close to seeing Raise the Age become law. In particular, we applaud the work of Sen. Lucido and Sen. Santana for their leadership on this issue and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey for acknowledging the urgency and importance of raising the age and for giving it a quick and decisive vote.”

“With expected action in the House this week, this could be headed to the governor’s desk soon, and our communities, our courts and our counties can begin preparing for this much-needed transition.”

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BACKGROUND:

Raise the Age is a key issue for the Michigan League for Public Policy and its Kids Count in Michigan Project. It is a policy recommendation in the League’s Owner’s Manual for Michigan policy agenda. The League has put together a fact sheet on the benefits of raising the age. There’s also a fact sheet on overwhelmingly positive polling information on the issue from last year and a variety of other resources from the Raise the Age campaign. The League continues to look for and lift up the personal stories of people and parents who have been adversely affected by Michigan’s current treatment of 17-year-olds in the justice system.

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