New law allows 17-year-olds to be sent through juvenile court system

The policy requiring all 17-year-olds to be treated as adults in Michigan courts will soon end after a plan spearheaded by state Rep. Roger Hauck was signed into law today.

Michigan is one of just four states still requiring all 17-year-olds to be prosecuted as adults – even those who commit the most minor offenses. Hauck, of Union Township, said allowing 17-year-olds with lower-level offenses to be sent through the juvenile justice system will help them address their problems and reduce the likelihood of them breaking the law again in the future.

“The juvenile system is centered around rehabilitation programs, family involvement and education – things that are going to help troubled teenagers straighten out their lives,” Hauck said. “This is a much better alternative than sending them to prison to learn from hardened criminals.”

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

Hauck’s plan will raise the age at which individuals are considered adults for the purposes of prosecuting and adjudicating criminal offenses, allowing 17-year-olds to be treated as minors in most circumstances beginning Oct. 1, 2021. Prosecutors will continue to have discretion, allowing them to waive minors who commit violent crimes into the adult system when appropriate.

The new law also includes a funding plan to ensure local communities do not incur any additional costs associated with keeping 17-year-old offenders in the juvenile system, which is administered at the local level.

###