Mass NOW Testifies at Raise the Age Hearing
Juvenile Justice Coalition members outside of the hearing room after testifying for Raise the Age
On September 23rd, the Joint Committee on the Judiciary heard testimony on An Act to Promote Public Safety and Better Outcomes for Youth (S.1061/H.1923), better known as Raise the Age. Members of the Juvenile Justice Coalition delivered powerful testimony—combining personal stories with compelling data—to urge the committee to advance this critical legislation.
What Raise the Age Does
Raise the Age would gradually increase the age of criminal majority in Massachusetts to 21. This means that young people ages 18–20 could be sentenced within the juvenile system rather than the adult system. Research shows that recidivism drops by 34% when youthful offenders are placed in the juvenile system instead of adult facilities. By passing this bill, Massachusetts would give young people—especially those from marginalized communities—a better chance at rehabilitation and a future free from incarceration.
Why Raise the Age Is a Feminist Issue
Mass NOW has endorsed this bill the last two legislative sessions. We believe Raise the Age is a feminist issue because the criminal legal system disproportionately harms young women and gender-expansive youth—especially those of color. Girls are most likely to be incarcerated for the lowest level offences, like running away or curfew violations, which are often responses to trauma, family conflict, or abuse. Too often, incarceration is used as a way to “teach” girls to behave, rather than addressing the underlying issues that led to their actions.
These patterns reflect deeply rooted gender stereotypes and systems of control over young women’s bodies and behavior. Indigenous girls are 4 times more likely to be incarcerated than white girls, and Black girls are 2.5 times more likely to be incarcerated than white girls. Raise the Age would mean these girls would have more support and rehabilitation, giving them better chances of staying out of the prison system.
By raising the age of criminal majority, Massachusetts can help shift our justice system toward one that recognizes the unique experiences of young women and gender-expansive youth—and works to end the cycles of trauma, surveillance, and incarceration that hold them back.
What’s Next
Thanks to our collective efforts, the Senate version of Raise the Age has been voted out favorably and is headed to the Ways and Means Committee!
You can watch the hearing recording here—testimony for An Act to Promote Public Safety and Better Outcomes for Youth begins about 11 minutes in.
If you are interested in learning more about Raise the Age and how you can support it you can go to the official Raise the Age MA Website. A quick and impactful way to show your support is to:
Thank your Senator for voting in favor of the bill, and
Contact your Representative to urge them to support it when it comes before the House.
Together, we can ensure that all young people—especially those most at risk—are given a real chance to grow, heal, and thrive.
Thank you to everyone who testified, organized, and continues to fight for youth justice. Your advocacy is making a difference.
Nicole Lockhart-Rios, Mass NOW Policy and Event Planning Co-op, testifies in front of the Judiciary Committee in support of Raise the Age
