“This country is criminalizing our youth for being youthful,” said New York State Senator Jesse Hamilton a month ago as he endorsed “Raise the Age,” the campaign organized by the advocacy group of the same name. At the time, New York was one of only two states in the country to prosecute 16 and 17-year-olds as adults. The practice paradoxically adds crime to communities, and feeds into the “pipeline” prison system. ACTS is dedicated to halting Mass Criminalization, an issue which disproportionately affects minorities and permeates Syracuse and the US.

For years, “Raise the Age” has fought to increase the age of criminal responsibility in New York State to 18-years-of-age, a crucial step in reversing Mass Criminalization and creating an equitable community. After a tireless battle, “Raise the Age” legislation was signed into law by Governor Cuomo on April 10th, 2017. The new law is expected to prevent up to 2,400 crimes every five years, as estimated by the New York State government.

Thursday, April 6th, marked the second summit for the anti-poverty coalition known as “Greater Syracuse HOPE.” The coalition was identified at the ACTS Leadership Council Meeting in March as an “integral ally” in the fight against concentrated poverty. This strain of suffering is particularly cancerous in Syracuse. One of every two children live under the poverty line in our Metropolitan area, which was subsequently ranked as the 29th poorest in the nation by the U.S. Census Bureau.

HOPE plans to utilize approximately $3 million of funding from Governor Cuomo’s “Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative,” introduced in his 2016 agenda. A chief objective of the Summit on April 6th was to construct an “action plan” to qualify for these vital funds. ACTS Interim Executive Director Rev. Craig French praised the Summit’s “high level of engagement,” and hinted at another HOPE meeting slated for later this Spring.