From carjackings and shootings to brazen shoplifting episodes and flash mobs, it seems as though there has been a marked increase in incidents of crime and violence involving what New York rapper Jadakiss dubbed “Y.O.” (youthful offenders).
This is more than mere perception driven by media sensationalism, however.
As crime and disorder have worsened in so many American cities, so too has the number of crimes committed by or against young people — a trend that even The New York Times recently acknowledged in its own coverage of teenage violence in Gotham.
This phenomenon has likely been exacerbated by policies such as “Raise the Age” initiatives aimed at easing up on juveniles who commit crimes.
The practical effect of such initiatives for defendants has been the keep their cases in family court, where serious terms of incarceration are unlikely to be handed down.
The unintended consequences, it seems, include sharp rises in both juvenile offending and victimization.
Continue reading the entire piece here at the New York Post
______________________
Rafael Mangual is the Nick Ohnell Fellow and head of research for the Policing and Public Safety Initiative at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal. He is also the author of Criminal (In)Justice: What the Push for Decarceration and Depolicing Gets Wrong and Who It Hurts Most.
Photo by carlballou/iStock
