North Carolina, along with New York, is one of two states to handle all 16- and 17-year-olds arrested for a criminal offense in the adult justice system. In recent years, however, there has been a call to raise the state’s age of juvenile jurisdiction from 16 to 18, in part, because of a growing national consensus that these youth are neither competent to stand trial under the same circumstances as adults nor are they as culpable for their actions. One of the challenges facing the policy change has been its cost: handling youth in the juvenile system is more expensive than in the adult system. But in examining the economic pros and cons of a policy change, policymakers need reliable information about the costs and the ensuing benefits.

Vera’s Cost-Benefit Analysis Unit (CBAU) worked with North Carolina’s Youth Accountability Planning Task Force—charged by the General Assembly to examine whether the state should raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction—to assess the costs and benefits of the policy change from the perspectives of taxpayers, victims, and youth. Specifically, CBAU analyzed the task force’s proposal to transfer 16- and 17-year-olds arrested for misdemeanor and low-level, nonviolent felony offenses to the juvenile system, while keeping youth arrested for violent felonies in the adult system.

The CBAU analysis showed that the proposed policy change would cost less than had been previously estimated and deliver long-term benefits. According to the analysis, implementing the proposal will cost taxpayers $70.9 million each year and generate $123.1 million in reoccurring benefits to taxpayers, victims, and youth. Most of the benefits—$97.9 million—represent additional lifetime earnings for those juveniles moved to the juvenile justice system, stemming from the absence of a criminal record. To estimate the amount, CBAU drew on national earnings data by education level and a recent study showing that being convicted when young reduces future earnings by 13 percent.

The post above is reprinted with permission from the Vera Insitute of Justice.

Valerie Levshin is a former policy analyst in the Cost-Benefit Analysis Unit at the Vera Institute of Justice.

*Photo at top by Flickr user r.f.m II