LANSING — A package of bills passed the Michigan House today which would raise the age for automatic prosecution as an adult from seventeen to eighteen. Currently, Michigan is one of only four remaining states that automatically considers seventeen-year-olds to be adults for criminal offenses, including Georgia, Texas and Wisconsin. House Bills 4133-4146 and 4443 have been sent to the Senate for consideration. In response, state Rep. Leslie Love (D-Detroit), who introduced HB 4143, issued the following statement:
“We have locked up young people alongside adults to their detriment for entirely too long. Our youth can be some of our most vulnerable citizens, but they have the greatest ability to transform and improve their lives. By raising the age, we can start providing a more restorative form of justice and improve our communities in the process. Raising the age is the right thing for Michigan and its young people.”