Voices of Youth Justice

Voices of Youth Justice


A Discussion with Jason Smith on Raising The Age in Michigan

February 06, 2020


  • Host: Aprill O. Turner, Communications Director, Campaign For Youth Justice
  • Guest: Jason Smith, the Director of Youth Justice Policy, Michigan Center for Youth Justice (MCYJ)

In this episode of the Voices of Youth Justice Podcast, we speak with Jason Smith, Director of Youth Justice Policy, at the  Michigan Center for Youth Justice (MCYJ).




Over the last decade, the number of children prosecuted as adults each year has dropped from around a quarter of a million to 75,000 or less. The main driver of this drop has been the movement across the states to Raise the Age of adult court jurisdiction to 18. Michigan is the most recent state to pass such legislation, which was signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on October 31, 2019.

The campaign leading to this landmark achievement took several years, and among the leading advocates was the Michigan Council on Crime & Delinquency, now known as the Michigan Center for Youth Justice (MCYJ).