The Brian Lehrer Show Defending 'Raise the Age'
Nov 21, 2025
Vincent Schiraldi, former commissioner of correction and probation and current visiting fellow at the Pinkerton Foundation, passionately defends New York's 'Raise the Age' law. He discusses the historical context of juvenile courts and highlights how adolescents differ from adults in their development. Schiraldi debates misconceptions linking youth crime rise to the legislation and emphasizes the importance of prevention programs over harsher laws. He also addresses funding issues and calls for transparent debate on youth justice policies.
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Teens Are Not Small Adults
- Juvenile brains differ qualitatively from adults, affecting responsibility and decision-making.
- Research shows teens are more volatile, peer-influenced, and less future-oriented than adults.
Pre-Raise The Age Was Automatic Adult Prosecution
- Before Raise the Age, 16- and 17-year-olds in New York were automatically tried as adults.
- Convictions stayed on adult records and youths could be sent to Rikers Island.
Adult Processing Harms Youth Outcomes
- Research links trying youth as adults to worse outcomes, including higher reoffending and mortality.
- The CDC found adult-system processing increases reoffending by about a third.