SAINT LOUIS, Mo. —
"Raise the age."
It's a simple phrase but a complicated topic.
Local faith leaders are pushing lawmakers to fast-track the plan to not automatically prosecute 17-year-olds as adults in Missouri.
When it comes to local prosecutors, it's like preaching to the choir.
"We have to treat children like children," said Wesley Bell, at the Metropolitan Congregations United Public Meeting Sunday afternoon.
The hardest work has already been done. A move to raise the mandatory adult prosecuting age from 17 to 18, actually passed the Missouri Legislature last year.
MCU is concerned the change won't go into place until 2021.
"I don’t want to hear another story like mine or worse, we are here today to raise the age," said Khadijah Wilson, a speaker at the event.
Other than passing new legislation, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner admitted they probably will have to wait until 2021.
"We can’t do anything until the law goes into effect," she told 5 On Your Side.
In the meantime, she and St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell promise to do what they can to divert juvenile cases they get to programs that don't involve prison time.
"What we can do is continue to strengthen our diversion programs, we treat children as children, we give them the help they need. We advocate for them finishing school. We give them services like trauma-based counseling," Gardner said.
The exception to that is juveniles that commit violent crimes.
The Circuit Attorney still promises to try to lock up those offenders. Gardner still argued prison time won't be enough to change most convicted criminals.
"I think that’s the conversation here, it’s not just where to hold them it’s the programs that should be associated with diverting everyone out of the system so they don’t come back and we’re dealing with them on another instance," she said.
This wasn't the only issue MCU pushed at their meeting. They also want to see former felons that have already served their sentences, returned to the voter registry. State Senator Jamilah Nasheed said she's already filed that legislation for next year's session.
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