[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 153 (Thursday, September 18, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E878]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    LOWERING AGE AT WHICH A MINOR MAY BE TRIED AS ADULT FOR CERTAIN 
               CRIMINAL OFFENSES IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. JONATHAN L. JACKSON

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 2025

  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
opposition to H.R. 5140, the D.C. Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act. This 
bill is not a serious attempt to address crime; it is a regressive, 
discriminatory, and counterproductive piece of legislation that will 
only worsen the challenges facing our communities.
  This bill would lower the age at which children can be prosecuted as 
adults in Washington, D.C., from 16 to 14 years old for certain crimes. 
This will also have the impact of reducing the minimum age for 
transferring a juvenile to adult court to be tried as an adult. House 
Republicans from three states--South Dakota, Alaska, and California--
voted to reduce the age to 14 in D.C., even though the age is 16 in 
their own states. The supporters of this bill claim it will make D.C. 
safer, but the facts and history prove otherwise.
  First, let's talk about the discriminatory nature of this proposal. 
The juvenile justice system in Washington. D.C., already has stark 
racial disparities: more than 93 percent of youth arrests in the first 
half of 2025 were of Black youth. Lowering the age for adult 
prosecution will inevitably push more Black children into the adult 
system, a system that is not equipped to rehabilitate them.
  Furthermore, this proposal stands in direct opposition to what we 
know about juvenile justice and public safety. Research from the CDC 
and the National Research Council has consistently found that 
transferring juveniles to the adult system increases violence rather 
than reducing it. Youth charged as adults are more likely to reoffend 
than those processed in juvenile courts. This is not a deterrent; it is 
a recipe for a cycle of violence and incarceration.
  This bill would make Washington, D.C., an outlier in its approach to 
juvenile justice. While the current law already allows prosecutors to 
charge 16 and 17 year-olds as adults at their discretion, without a 
judge's approval, H.R. 5140 would lower that age even further.
  Even in states with a history of tough-on-crime stances, many are 
moving in a more rehabilitative direction.
  This approach aligns with a broader national trend, including in 
several Republican-led states, to reform juvenile justice with a focus 
on rehabilitation rather than punishment. For example, Texas, a state 
known for its traditionally tough stance on crime, has undertaken 
significant reforms since 2007. These reforms have focused on 
encouraging local, evidence-based supervision for low-level youth 
offenders, which has led to a significant reduction in the state-level 
committed population and millions of dollars in cost savings while 
protecting public safety. Juvenile arrests in Texas dropped by 27 
percent between 2007 and 2011 following these changes.
  Similarly, in Utah, Republican Governor Gary Herbert signed a 
comprehensive set of reforms in 2017 with near-unanimous support from 
the Republican-led legislature. These reforms have also reduced 
reliance on locked detention by diverting more young people into 
community-based programs. Early outcomes from these changes show that 
the use of locked detention has fallen significantly, while the use of 
diversion is on the rise.
  Even in Georgia, another state that has historically had a lower age 
for adult prosecution, there has been a movement to extend the juvenile 
justice system. In 2022, the state passed a bill to raise the adult 
criminal age from 17 to 18 for most crimes, recognizing that this 
provides adolescents with better opportunities for rehabilitation.
  This bill would make Washington, D.C., an outlier. While the current 
law already allows prosecutors to charge 16 and 17 year-olds as adults 
at their discretion, without a judge's approval, H.R. 5140 would lower 
that age even further. In contrast, many states are moving in the 
opposite direction, raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction, not 
lowering it.
  Real solutions to violent crime do not come from sending middle 
schoolers to adult court. They come from investing in communities. They 
come from supporting our schools, expanding after-school programs, 
providing job training, and ensuring access to mental health services.
  I urge my colleagues to reject this misguided and dangerous bill. 
Vote No on H.R. 5140.

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