I was absolutely appauled when I found out that the state of North Carolina is only one of two states in our nation that still holds the juvenile juridsiction limit at sixteen. This law is unjust and does not prosper our state whatsoever. We are wasting our tax dollars putting minors, who have committed misdemeanors or low-level crimes, through the adult system. We are not recieving any benefits in our society from it. If we were to change the limit from sixteen to eighteen, studies have shown that we would have less repeat offenders in our state. The juvenile program offers many programs and rehabilitation facilities that the adult system does not. Sixteen and seventeen year olds who have commited a low low-level crime deserve a fighting chance just like every other minor does on our state. These minors don't deserve to have permanent records for the rest of their lives because of an immature decision made while they're brains were still developing in the adolescent stages of life. If we were to put them through the juvenile system, they oculd turn back from those choices made and make a difference. In turn, our state would have an increase of successful citizens/workers. This would prosper our state in many ways financially and statistically. Also, there was a cost-benefit alnalysis conducted by the Vera Institute of Justice in January of 2011. This analysis provides charts, graphs, etc that prove that changing this limit would generate reocurring benefits to youth, victims, and taxpayers over the long term. The analysis also indicated that the benefits of the limit change would outweigh the costs by almost double. Please, consider this limit change. Every other state in our nation besides New York has made the change. Let's join the rest of society by making this equitable and logical decision to raise the juvenile age limit from sixteen to eighteen.