UTEC CELEBRATES PASSAGE OF RAISE THE AGE AMENDMENT IN SENATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BILL

UTEC, the Merrimack Valley nonprofit whose mission is to reduce recidivism among young adults, celebrated the passage of an amendment during Senate Economic Development Bond Bill (S.2856) debate to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction an additional year, so that 18 year olds, many who are still in will be considered as juveniles.

     An Act to Promote Public Safety and Better Outcomes for Young Adults, otherwise known as the Raise the Age bill, will raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include 18-year-olds. Raising the age to include 18-year-olds refers to the age at which an individual is subject to the adult criminal justice system. The amendment would not change an existing law that allows 18-year-olds charged with the most serious offenses to be prosecuted and sentenced as adults for the most serious crimes, including first or second-degree murder.

     “We are grateful to Senate President Spilka, Senate Ways and Means Chair Rodrigues, Majority Leader Creem, Senate Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Chair Finegold, Senate Committee on Juvenile and Emerging Adult Justice Chair Crighton, and the entire Senate for their support of Raise The Age legislation,” said Gregg Croteau, CEO of UTEC. “We believe this provides young people the opportunity for redemption while also ensuring positive steps for improving public safety for all. We look forward to working with many other legislative champions and community partners to send this legislation to Governor Healey’s desk for approval.”

     This legislation has the capacity to ensure that all young adults are guaranteed to receive an education if they are committed to the Department of Youth Services, rather than a county jail or state prison. The ability to continue their education, with all the varied support services available, is instrumental to reduce the chances of recidivism when released and increases public safety in communities across the state. 

     This initiative will also give young adults more economic mobility and the benefit of being able to go back out into the job market without the barrier of a criminal record.
     In Massachusetts, we’ve seen the benefits of raising the age to 17—a 53% reduction in juvenile arrests and a 73% drop in the arrest rates of 18- to 20-year-olds, according to data from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

     In September, several young adults from UTEC testified in favor of Raise the Age legislation before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, sharing their personal stories. “When I was around the age of 18 and 19, I was incarcerated and put out of my element. No privacy, no respect, and frankly, no justice. It is our responsibility to advocate for our youth, our future, and for the young adults that had to endure this,” stated Mary (Nini) Gomez, a Young Adult at UTEC.

UTEC has proudly advocated for this legislation alongside other coalition partners such as Roca, More Than Words,  Citizens for Juvenile Justice, Committee for Public Council Services, The Massachusetts Coalition Prevent Gun Violence, The Center for Teen Empowerment, among many others.

     UTEC, Inc., a nonprofit based in Lowell, was founded in 1999 as the result of an organizing movement driven by young people to develop their own teen center in response to gang violence. UTEC has since grown into a nationally recognized model for serving young adults (ages 17-25) who have histories of incarceration or serious gang involvement. UTEC’s approach begins with intensive street outreach and gang peacemaking, reaching young adults “where they are.” It also offers innovative workforce development opportunities and wraparound services for those involved in its programming.