Issue Area
Raise the Lower Age
Raise the Lower Age
In Texas, children aged 10 and up can be adjudicated and confined in secure juvenile correctional facilities. These prison-like settings are no place for kids. Further, when pre-adolescent children exhibit law-breaking behavior, there are often family dysfunction or behavioral health issues that are better addressed outside of the juvenile justice system. We are working to raise the lower age from 10 to 13.
Other Work
Learn about other justice issues we work on
Team Members
Image
Image
Key Statistics
Image
10 to 11
Kids aged 10-11 make up a small percentage of kids referred to the juvenile justice system. Most are referred for misdemeanors. Referrals to probation increase the likelihood that youth will be involved in the justice system later in life.
Image
10 to 12
A large number of 10- to 12-year-olds are referred to probation because of school-related behaviors, and Black youth are referred to probation for school-based offenses at a higher rate than their White peers.
Image
50%
Half of the 10- to 12-year-olds in detention in 2018 had mental health needs, and 20 percent of 10- to 12-year-olds in detention were special education students.