A bipartisan plan approved by the Michigan House last week has the potential to dramatically improve the way young people are treated in our state’s legal system.

Right now, any 17-year-old who breaks the law in Michigan is required to be processed through the adult legal system, regardless of the severity of the crime. That means high school juniors and seniors – who can’t legally vote, sign a contract or serve on a jury – are charged, tried and even sent to serve in prison alongside adults.

Michigan is one of just four states where this law remains, despite all of the research that shows placing 17-year-olds in adult prison hinders their ability to re-enter society and lead successful, productive lives.
Teenagers in prison face a greater chance of being sexually assaulted and subjected to other forms of violence. They’re also more likely to attempt suicide.

Instead of bringing the full weight of the adult legal system down on 17-year-olds, the solution I support will help them turn their lives around by giving them access to the rehabilitation programs available in the juvenile justice system. These programs are already designed to help young people by focusing on education, career and technical training, and family involvement.

Including 17-year-olds in the juvenile system has been shown to reduce recidivism by 34 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

This plan does nothing to prevent minors who commit heinous crimes from being charged as adults. Prosecutors and judges will continue to have discretion – just like they do right now with other teenagers who commit violent crimes.

However, most teenagers who commit a crime in Michigan are first-time, non-violent offenders. They deserve a chance to fix their mistakes and straighten out their lives.

In addition to producing better results for Michigan teens, raising the age for juvenile justice in Michigan will save public tax dollars, freeing up funds to be invested in schools, roads and other services critical to Michigan families.

Connecticut, Illinois and Massachusetts are among the states that have experienced millions of dollars in savings, decreases in the number of reoffending youth and declines in judicial costs after raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to 18.

Putting 17-year-olds with non-violent records into adult prisons is harmful to young people, expensive for taxpayers and does absolutely nothing to make our communities safer. I’m pleased to be able to report that change could soon be on the way.

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— State Rep. Sarah Lightner is serving her first term in the Michigan House representing residents in portions of Jackson, Lenawee and Eaton counties.