Kids, parents and taxpayers in Greenville and around the state deserve a better, more efficient system of justice. That’s why I am headed to our General Assembly on Thursday to join a rally urging lawmakers to “Raise the Age.”
Currently, North Carolina is one of only two states that automatically prosecute all 16- and 17-year-olds as adults — even for something as minor as stealing a bag of chips. This outdated system leads to bigger problems. Kids in the adult system are more likely to become repeat offenders — meaning repeated costs for all of us. And North Carolina’s young people are held back by an adult record that kids in other states don’t have to deal with when applying for college and jobs.
By handling 16 and 17-year-olds charged with misdemeanors in the tough and smart juvenile system, we’ll all enjoy better outcomes. Meantime, under the bipartisan legislation we’re rallying for, kids charged with more serious crimes would remain in the adult system.
Let’s be smart on crime and on the future. Let’s “Raise the Age.”
STEPHANIE GREY
Greenville