Posted: March 26th, 2012 | by Yuval Sheer

Thanks to the forward looking generosity of the Pinkerton Foundation, The New York Foundling and NYCJJ are piloting “Families Rising”, a program that provides evidence-based therapeutic services to children and adolescents who come into contact with New York’s adult criminal courts. This project is modeled on evidenced-based work, noteworthy for its success, that the Foundling has been administering in the Family Court over the past five years.

New York is one of only two states to set the age of criminal responsibility as young as 16.  In addition, children as young as 13 are tried as adults in New York state when accused of certain crimes. These youths are statutorily deemed criminally responsible for their behavior and their cases are processed in the adult criminal courts. Therefore, these children have no access to therapeutic programmatic interventions available in the Family Court. These children perhaps most in need of such rehabilitative services, are precluded from receiving them, because the law in our state automatically places jurisdiction of such cases in the adult criminal courts, outside the reach of the Family Court, regardless of a child’s individual circumstances.

The innovative collaboration of the Foundling and NYCJJ addresses this issue by bringing essential services to these children in the adult courts. We are confident that, through the success of our joint efforts, public safety and the future of many of these children will be enhanced by the opportunity to benefit from The Foundling’s therapeutic services.

« Back to News