S.C. May Raise Juvenile Offender Age to 17
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at 5:33PM South Carolina is poised to join the majority of states that keep teenagers in the juvenile justice system until their 18th birthday.
Senate lawmakers approved “raise the age” legislation (SB 916) late Tuesday that would increase the upper age of juvenile jurisdiction from 16 to 17 for most young offenders. All but nine states already consider teenagers juveniles until they turn 18.
The legislation sailed through the Senate on a vote of 37-0; the House had approved it 102-0 earlier this month.
Advocates applauded passage of the legislation, which now goes to the desk of Gov. Nikki R. Haley, a Republican.
Sue Berkowitz, director of the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center, said the bill’s relatively smooth passage is a sign that lawmakers are persuaded that young people do best in a system designed for rehabilitation.
“It just shows there’s been a real shift in the debate about how we should treat children,” she said.
The South Carolina legislation would take effect in 2019 and includes an exception for youth charged with certain violent crimes.
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