What's happening
This bill raises the maximum age for youthful offender status in New York from under 19 to under 21 years old.
Why it matters
Expands eligibility for youthful offender status to more people. , allowing individuals who commit crimes at ages 19 or 20 to potentially avoid long-term consequences of a criminal record, which can affect employment, housing, and education opportunities.
Aligns legal treatment more closely with research on brain development. , recognizing that cognitive maturity and impulse control continue to develop into the early twenties, which may support rehabilitative rather than punitive approaches for young adults.
May lead to fewer young adults facing mandatory minimum sentences or lengthy prison terms. , giving judges greater discretion to consider individual circumstances and the potential for rehabilitation for offenders up to age 21.
Could reduce long-term societal costs. by increasing opportunities for young adults to reintegrate into society successfully, thus potentially lowering recidivism rates and reliance on public assistance due to barriers from a criminal record.
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Raise Youthful Offender Age
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Expand Youthful Offender Age
In Senate Committee · Codes · Sponsor David Carlucci
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1674
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to youthful offenders
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 720.10 of the criminal procedure law, as amended by chapter 411 of the laws of 1979, is amended to read as follows:
1. "Youth" means a person charged with a crime alleged to have been committed when he or she was at least sixteen years old and less than [nineteen] twenty-one years old or a person charged with being a juvenile offender as defined in subdivision forty-two of section 1.20 of this chapter.
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 720.20 of the criminal procedure law, as amended by chapter 652 of the laws of 1974, is amended to read as follows:
1. Upon conviction of an eligible youth, the court must order a presentence investigation of the defendant. After receipt of a written report of the investigation and at the time of pronouncing sentence the court must determine whether or not the eligible youth is a youthful offender. Such determination shall be in accordance with the following criteria:
(a) If in the opinion of the court the interest of justice would be served by relieving the eligible youth from the onus of a criminal record and by not imposing an indeterminate term of imprisonment of more than four years, the court may, in its discretion, find the eligible youth is a youthful offender; and
(b) Where the conviction is had in a local criminal court and the eligible youth charged with a crime alleged to have been committed when he or she was at least sixteen years old and less than nineteen years
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01836-01-7
A. 1674 2
old had not prior to commencement of trial or entry of a plea of guilty been convicted of a crime or found a youthful offender, the court must find he or she is a youthful offender.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.