Children Prosecuted as Adults

in New Jersey

Every year in New Jersey, children are prosecuted in the adult criminal legal system. This means kids—some as young as 15—can face adult sentences and lifelong consequences. Research shows that this practice does not improve public safety and instead increases the risk of harm, trauma, and reoffending.

Children are not adults

Children are not adults. They are still developing, more capable of change, and deserve opportunities for rehabilitation. While New Jersey has made progress in youth justice reform, allowing kids to be tried as adults remains one its most harmful practices.

How children end up in adult court

In most states, laws allow prosecutors or judges to “transfer” children to adult court for certain charges. These laws were created during the “tough on crime” era of the 1990s, based on myths that children who commit serious offenses are “superpredators.”

But adult prosecution does not work….

We now know these laws are not only outdated, harmful, and unfair — but that they don’t work. Research shows that children prosecuted as adults are more likely to reoffend.

  • Children are not adults — legally, developmentally, or neurologically. Research shows that the parts of the brain responsible for impulse control, decision-making, and understanding consequences are still developing well into the mid-20s. That’s why we don’t let children vote, serve on juries, or sign contracts.

    When we try kids as adults, we ignore science and common sense. We don’t make communities safer — we make things worse. Kids sent to the adult system are more likely to reoffend after release. Treating children like children and giving them the resources they need is how we actually reduce crime and build safer communities.

  • Accountability isn’t the same as punishment. Most victims of crime, when asked, say they want what prevents future harm — and that means giving kids a chance to turn their lives around. True accountability means taking responsibility, making amends, and changing behavior — not throwing a child into the adult system where they’re more likely to come out worse.

  • No — the youth justice system can hold children accountable in ways that actually work. Youth adjudicated in a New Jersey juvenile court for the crime of first-degree murder can be sentenced to 20 years—a sentence comparable to the 30-year sentence typically imposed in adult court for the same crime.

    Juvenile courts focus on rehabilitation, education, and family involvement. Kids can receive counseling, community service, and structured supervision — not just a lifelong record that limits their future.