A movement to treat 16- and 17-year-olds charged with crimes as adolescents, not adults—an issue on the back burner in Albany for 50 years—has gained ground, and advocates of children are hoping to achieve their goal of success from this year's Legislature.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo endorsed the raise-the-age campaign in his 2014 State of the State message and appointed a commission to study the issue. With the commission's findings in hand, he quickly incorporated its statutory recommendations in his 2015-2016 budget.

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