The readers of this newspaper should be aware the governor is calling on the legislature to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18 years old, except for crimes of serious violence. New York and North Carolina are the only two states that automatically treat 16- and 17-year-olds as adults. They are imprisoned with other adults, where they are prone to mistreatment.
The legal process should respond to juveniles with services and placements to meet rehabilitative needs of all children and youths. I urge readers to contact their legislators to support this issue.
—Charlotte Schwartz
