by Christian Wade, The Center Square
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott is asking lawmakers to delay a new law raising the age of juvenile delinquency, citing public concerns about rising youth crime.
In a report to legislative leaders, the Vermont Department for Children and Families asked for the “raise the age” reforms to be paused for “several years” until the state can improve the care system for young offenders.
“Public safety is a big concern of mine and many others across Vermont,” Scott, a Republican, told reporters in remarks on Wednesday. “I think we have to rethink some of what we’ve done over the last two to three years and bring the pendulum back to the center.”
In 2020, Vermont became the first state to pass a “Raise the Age” law expanding family court jurisdiction to non-violent offenders up to the age of 18. The law includes exceptions for serious crimes — or the so-called “Big 12” — such as murder, rape and child sexual assault.
Last year, lawmakers expanded the law to include people up to 19 years old, with plans to cut it off at age 20 by 2024. Those efforts have been pushed back several times, and now the Scott administration is formally asking legislative leaders to shelve the proposal.
In its report, the Scott administration said it “can only recommend continued expansion of the Raise the Age initiative to include 19- year-old delinquent youth/emerging adults when the state has the necessary resources and infrastructure.”
“Expanding the juvenile system to youth who are 19 would place a level of stress on the entirety of the system and further risk negative outcomes for the youth in need of care,” the report’s authors wrote.
Despite the request to pause the law’s expansion, the department said it “continues to stand behind the values” that led to the passage of the Raise the Age legislation.
“Science is clear that the human brain is in development well into a person’s mid-20’s,” the report’s authors wrote. “The adaptability of the adolescent mind is a tremendous strength. Simultaneously, the developing mind is more inclined to prioritize reward over risk.”
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Categories: State Government
You cannot have it both ways. Either they are incapable of being responsible and therefore should not be allowed to vote or they handle all the responsibilities of adulthood at the same age, such as driving, drinking, use of tobacco products, possession and use of a firearm, marriage, defending our country and standing in court accounting for their behavior. You absolutely cannot have it both ways. To do anything else is ludicrous. To allow some towns to let their underage citizens vote but not independently marry or purchase alcohol is beyond hypocritical. Either they are capable, or they are not. Choose one, make it stick and stop dillydallying around.
Ditto for the demand that felons be allowed to vote, but have their Second Amendment Rights infringed. It is completely reasonable to deny gun ownership to serious criminals, and completely reasonable to deny them the vote. The pen is mightier than the sword. By the way, convicted felons doing prison time in Vermont are allowed to vote.
“Science is clear that the human brain is in development well into a person’s mid-20’s,” the report’s authors wrote. “The adaptability of the adolescent mind is a tremendous strength. Simultaneously, the developing mind is more inclined to prioritize reward over risk.” Trust their science because they pay top dollar for that science!
The double speak, double-entendre of that statement should cause many to pause and think about what it being stated. The human body includes the human brain. They go together and work as one from birth to death. The human “mind” is another matter they are trying to bend to their will and poison into mush from birth to death.
Having any child or teen in the care and control of the State is no good for any child. Meaning, under the age of 18 – not pushing the age of consent (contract laws, constitutional laws) beyond or below that age is the State hiding behind their failed policies and failed system. The nanny State is looking to control young adults and pretend they care about them. Quite the contrary.
Bring back Woodside only make it bigger and tougher.
Their science of the mind is about as true and useful as their science of covid, that is, a fraud, a hoax, a power grabbing imposition on the freedoms and tax burdens of citizens .
all the people that made comments above wore the face diaper admit you mindless idiots is not burlington a member of the vermont you love/////
to “mday44yahoocom”
Again, what in the holy heck are you babbling about? What does wearing a mask have to do with anything in this article? Regardless of any details of the mask. You should be very careful about calling others “mindless idiots” when simple punctuation, grammar and common sense seem to be grossly lacking in your comments on this site.
Get better or get going.