Borough President Vito Fossella, Elected Officials Call For Reforms To Juvenile Justice System

Borough President Vito Fossella, State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, and District Attorney Michael McMahon called for measures to reform the juvenile justice system following two recent incidents of gun violence in Staten Island schools.

Specifically, they called for a rollback of the “The Raise Age” law. Signed into law in 2017, the legislation changed the age at which a child can be prosecuted as an adult to 18. Those younger than 18 are prosecuted in Family Court.

Legislation introduced by State Senator Scarcella-Spanton would allow those under the age of 18 who are charged with serious crimes to be tried as adults in criminal court.

Borough President Fossella said the frustration over the “Raise the Age” law is evident in the voices of educators, parents, and members of law enforcement.
 
“Why the frustration -- because a lot of people who want to cause harm are allowed to get away with it, young or old,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference outside of the Staten Island Supreme Court building. “The good news is 98 percent or 99 percent of the kids on Staten Island are great kids who just want a place to learn in a safe and secure environment. But, there’s always that one or two percent who disrupt it for everybody else. For some of those people, it just gets punted over to Family Court. Let’s speak loudly in one voice on behalf of the innocent kids who just want to live free, live in peace, and live their lives.”