Kids as young as 10 can be prosecuted in Colorado. A proposal to raise the age to 13 is getting pushback from DAs – By Jennifer Brown (Colorado Sun) / Mar 21, 2023
A similar proposal was scrapped last year in favor of a task force to study the issue. This year’s version would create a system of services for kids between 10 and 12 who get in trouble with police.
Colorado lawmakers will consider a proposal again this year to raise the age that children can face criminal charges, from 10 to 13 years old.
Legislation introduced at the state Capitol on Monday is a more robust version of a bill that failed last year. The plan is to send the youngest criminal offenders directly into therapy and other community programs, instead of arresting and holding them in detention in a juvenile corrections center. The only exception included in the legislation is homicide.
Supporters point to statistics that show young children who spend time in juvenile detention are more likely to return to the corrections system as kids and adults, with studies showing that it’s difficult to get their lives on track after being branded as criminals.
“Are we making kids better or are we making them worse?” asked Kyle Piccola, vice president of advocacy for Healthier Colorado, which supports the proposal. “We came to the conclusion that the system as it is today is making kids worse.”
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