Decriminalizing Delinquency: The Effect of Raising the Age of Majority for Juvenile Recidivism

• In Event: Research on the Effects of Juvenile Transfer and Jurisdictional Boundaries

Abstract

In the last decade, a number of states have actively considered expanding the jurisdiction of their juvenile courts by increasing the maximum age to eighteen. Proponents argue these legal reforms reduce crime by increasing access to treatment opportunities in the juvenile justice system and by decreasing exposure to harmful features of the adult system. Critics counter that, instead, they increase crime by reducing deterrence for affected juveniles. In 2010, Illinois raised the maximum age of the juvenile court for misdemeanor offenders. This paper examines the effect of the law on the recidivism of misdemeanor juvenile offenders in Chicago, IL. Applying a differences-in-differences design with several different control groups, we find no evidence of an effect of the law on recidivism. Our results suggest that—contrary to the expectations of both advocates and opponents—increasing the maximum age of the juvenile court does not affect juvenile recidivism.

Authors

• Charles Loeffler, University of Pennsylvania

• Ben Grunwald, University of Pennsylvania