As a member of the Metropolitan Congregations United Juvenile Justice Task Force, I’ve spoken with families who have teens in the criminal justice system. A couple of months ago, I spoke with a father, who essentially said police interrogated his 15-year old boy without his knowledge and without proper council. Under Missouri law, there is no requirement to notify parents.
Just last week, a Francis Howell student was illegally searched without probable cause. Hazelwood seniors, including the student body president, were suspended without due process.
This is exactly why Break the Pipeline St. Louis exists to ensure student and parent voices are heard and that our community organizes for change. Despite the wave of progression in America towards Raise the Age, Missouri continues to fall behind.
In 1856, Missouri was the last state to decide it wanted to remain pro-slavery, leading our nation into further division. Admission of Missouri as a slave state would upset balance; it would also set a precedent as the expansion of slavery became acceptable for Congress. In 1819, during the organization of Missouri as a territory, U.S. Representative James Tallmadge of New York proposed an amendment that would ultimately end slavery there; this effort was defeated.
Fast forward to 2017. New York has raised the age. North Carolina is on the verge of raising the age. From 2009 to 2014, Connecticut, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Illinois and New Hampshire all raised the age to 18. Legislators and governors alike called for action again in 2016. Louisiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and South Carolina drew the line between the criminal and juvenile justice systems.
In 2016, Raise the Age efforts never even left the Missouri House of Representatives. In 2017, SB 40 and HB 274 “Raise the Age” bills still did not pass, leaving Missouri families without juvenile justice reform.
Although fiscal arguments remain unsupported (juvenile crime has dropped steadily in Missouri), antagonists contend Raise the Age legislature will cost Missouri millions, a flat argument given the more than 40 percent of juveniles being held for low-level misdemeanors and juvenile offenses. These children need rehabilitation and require community support, allotting Missourians fiscal room for 17-year old offenders.
It is time for Missouri to raise the age, not only for the empowerment of our children and parents, but also for general public safety. With concern for our children, state Rep. Nick Schroer (R-O’Fallon) has remained in the trenches, garnering support from both sides. Unfortunately, he ran out of time this year, with closure of the session.
I don’t need a law degree or corporate sponsors to see that leaving children in adult prisons is a crime against humanity. Parents indeed need to be told and have the right to be involved in their teen’s process. Raise the Age legislation is no longer an option; it is a necessity and hopefully a priority in 2018.
jusTizz is the literary pseudonym of the St. Louis-area blogger and poet Israel Collier.
