Greensboro, NC — At the age of 16, you can finally get your driver’s license. Yet, you can’t vote. You can’t drink alcohol. You can’t get a tattoo.
However, in North Carolina, at 16, you can go to jail for a misdemeanor crime like breaking and entering.
New York is the only other state with a similar law.
There’s a new bill that would change the age of adulthood to 18 for misdemeanor crimes, not felonies like rape, murder or armed robbery.
Jamar Williams was arrested and put in jail at the age of 16 for breaking and entering. He says his life could have taken a different direction if he got treatment or counseling instead of jail time.
“A lot of people say, ‘Put them in jail. They’ll learn their lesson.’ It doesn’t work like that. You put them in jail, you just make them worse for society,” Williams said.
Williams says he learned a lesson while he served that jail time: how to be a better criminal.
“You are just throwing me in a jail or putting me in a block with a whole bunch of other guys, telling me about their charges, talking to me, telling me I should have done something else to not get caught, or not done that to get caught. Not somebody there saying, ‘You shouldn’t have done that,'” Williams said.
Later, Williams served time for drug charges and ended up in prison. Now 22, Williams is finally getting the help he needs through the “One Step Further” program.
One Step Further Program Director Scott Fuller said, “I think the backdrop of the crime committed is what we should focus on when it comes to youth. Why are you committing a crime? What were the circumstances around you committing this crime? Was it for fun or was it for food? We need to evaluate these situations.”
Here’s the problem: budget and resources. Juvenile justice staffing numbers dropped from 1,765 people in 2009 to 1,445 this year. During that same time period, the budget dropped from nearly $166 million to $137 million.
If the proposed bill becomes law, it could be more expensive up front. But, experts say, it could save money long term by cutting down on repeat-offenders.