New York Governor Kathy Hochul has avoided a confrontation with fellow Democrats over reform of the youth criminal justice law known as Raise the Age, sidestepping a contentious battle that could have reopened old wounds in the party before this year's election.
The landmark law, which increased the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18, had been under threat of revision by prosecutors, police and law enforcement groups. However, Hochul's budget proposal released on Tuesday does not include any changes to the law's key elements.
According to Basil Smikle, a Columbia University professor and political analyst, this decision was a missed opportunity for reform, saying "This is just a fight that didn't need to happen, frankly." Smikle believes that criminal justice issues are a "dividing line" in the state's Democratic Party, which would have reopened old wounds before an important election.
Megan French-Marcelin, a senior policy director with the Legal Action Center, warned that taking a step back from reform efforts can lead to setbacks. She stated, "We've learned from other battles around criminal legal systems reform that the minute you take your foot off the pedal, bad things can happen."
The proposal has been praised by some Democratic lawmakers in the state Senate and Assembly, who had expressed support for the law in its current form. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the state Senate Majority Leader, described Hochul's decision as "helpful" to the budget process.
However, Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly criticized Hochul's claim that necessary reform of the law had already been achieved. Donnelly said her organization is pushing for targeted revisions, such as moving more juvenile gun possession cases back into criminal court and giving prosecutors access to sealed family court case records.
Advocates point to data showing a decline in youth crime rates since Raise the Age passed and argue that more funding for community-based programs, counseling, and wraparound services would help those numbers continue to fall. Despite this, only about half of the $1.7 billion set aside for these programs remains unspent.
Those who support the law fear that threats to it could re-emerge after the November election, prompting them to prepare for another fight. Messiah Ramkissoon, an associate executive director with the Youth Justice Network, warned, "We're still in 2026 having a conversation about whether children should be locked up with adults and whether resources that were promised to them should be allotted."
The landmark law, which increased the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18, had been under threat of revision by prosecutors, police and law enforcement groups. However, Hochul's budget proposal released on Tuesday does not include any changes to the law's key elements.
According to Basil Smikle, a Columbia University professor and political analyst, this decision was a missed opportunity for reform, saying "This is just a fight that didn't need to happen, frankly." Smikle believes that criminal justice issues are a "dividing line" in the state's Democratic Party, which would have reopened old wounds before an important election.
Megan French-Marcelin, a senior policy director with the Legal Action Center, warned that taking a step back from reform efforts can lead to setbacks. She stated, "We've learned from other battles around criminal legal systems reform that the minute you take your foot off the pedal, bad things can happen."
The proposal has been praised by some Democratic lawmakers in the state Senate and Assembly, who had expressed support for the law in its current form. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the state Senate Majority Leader, described Hochul's decision as "helpful" to the budget process.
However, Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly criticized Hochul's claim that necessary reform of the law had already been achieved. Donnelly said her organization is pushing for targeted revisions, such as moving more juvenile gun possession cases back into criminal court and giving prosecutors access to sealed family court case records.
Advocates point to data showing a decline in youth crime rates since Raise the Age passed and argue that more funding for community-based programs, counseling, and wraparound services would help those numbers continue to fall. Despite this, only about half of the $1.7 billion set aside for these programs remains unspent.
Those who support the law fear that threats to it could re-emerge after the November election, prompting them to prepare for another fight. Messiah Ramkissoon, an associate executive director with the Youth Justice Network, warned, "We're still in 2026 having a conversation about whether children should be locked up with adults and whether resources that were promised to them should be allotted."
The Raise the Age law is like a big puzzle 
. If we don't keep working on it, some pieces might fall out of place 
. Hochul's decision not to touch it in her budget proposal was a missed opportunity 
. We've seen before that when reform efforts slow down, bad things can happen 
.
:
, like moving more juvenile gun possession cases back into criminal court 
. And we need to make sure those who support the law are prepared for another fight 
. We can't let our guard down 
.
. It's like, we've come so far with Raise the Age, and now they're just backing down? 
I know some of my friends' parents have been arrested and it's because they were 16 or 17, which is just crazy 
. It's not too late to make a difference, right? 
I think it's kinda weird that politicians are more worried 'bout keeping the party united than makin' real changes 
. Like, we get it, reform can be divisive, but what if it actually makes things better? 
We already know that Raise the Age has helped lower youth crime rates 
Maybe we need to find a way to make reform work for everyone 
. I mean, it's not like we're just gonna sit around twiddlin' our thumbs while things keep gettin' worse 
and makin' progress on the issues that matter 
. We need to start thinkin' 'bout solutions, not just problems 
. So let's hope our leaders get it together and make some real changes 
.
She's dodging this fight, and it's not gonna make a difference in 2026 when those old wounds reopen again. What's gonna change? The fact that they had another election is just a Band-Aid solution 
. Don't get me wrong, the data shows that Raise the Age has been a good thing - less youth crime and all that... but we need real changes, not just a temporary fix 
. Can't we do better than that? 
. And what about Donnelly? Can't we find some middle ground instead of threatening to revisit the law again? 
I guess it's good that some people are still pushing for targeted revisions, like moving more juvenile gun possession cases back into criminal court... or is that just a way to undermine Raise the Age entirely? 
I don't know, maybe I'm being too simplistic, but it feels like we're just going around in circles... 
. but honestly, it's a shame, 'cause reform was on the table and now we might be right back where we started 
. It was a total missed opportunity for real progress 
. It's just so... ugh