A series of unfortunate events: The consequences of lacking a federal minimum age for criminal responsibility

The United States imprisons juvenile delinquents at a rate higher than any other country in the world. This is likely due to the lack of a federal standard for a minimum age to try children as adults. While states scramble to find the appropriate response, youth offenders are left as collateral in a vicious loop of recidivism. This Note explores the lack of a national standard in establishing criminal responsibility for trying children and proposes a hybrid solution of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Raise the Age legislation to promote rehabilitation and re‐entry pathways for youth offenders.