Tioga County legislators are reacting to two proposals to raise the age of criminal responsibility, from 16 to 18. They feel the proposal would be a burden on the taxpayers, and the county’s probation department. Yesterday, members of the legislature unanimously agreed that the cost of trying 16 and 17-year-olds as juveniles, rather than adults, will be too high for the county to handle. Officials said two versions of the Raise The Age proposal will be considered: one put forward by the state assembly, and another by the Governor. Some legislators feel the concept of the program is a good one. It aims to keep adolescents out of the adult legal system and use alternatives to jail for non-violent offenses. However, all legislators agreed that it would ultimately end up as another state mandated expense. If the proposal passes, officials say the county’s probation department will have to increase staff in order to handle the influx of people who will be referred to probation for all felonies and misdemeanors, rather than being tried in court as an adult. The legislature will now urge the state to cover all costs that the proposal will cause for counties and their probation departments.
