Senator Rob Rolison (SD-39) sent a letter calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to include reforms to New York’s Raise the Age law in the upcoming Executive Budget, citing rising youth crime and growing concern from law enforcement.

In a letter sent to the Governor, Rolison, a former Town of Poughkeepsie police officer who worked closely with juvenile offenders, noted that while he supports restorative justice, the 2018 Raise the Age changes are making the streets less safe – especially for youth.

“As someone who has worked with young people throughout my career in law enforcement and local government, I care deeply about ensuring our youth have every opportunity to succeed,” said Rolison. “When the system fails to hold repeat or violent offenders accountable, we aren’t helping them build better futures, and we aren’t keeping our communities safe. These common-sense reforms are about creating a system that truly guides young people toward success while ensuring our neighborhoods remain safe places to live, learn and grow.”

To address these issues, Rolison recently introduced S.8531, legislation restoring more judicial discretion around whether cases are sent to family court and ensuring firearm-related offenses are not automatically removed to family court.

“These common-sense changes would go a long way toward improving public safety while still supporting young people,” Rolison said. “I respectfully urge the Governor to include meaningful reforms in the Executive Budget.”