Juvenile justice advocates look to raise age of criminal responsibility to 18

Policy attorney Elizabeth Henneke said this time around she and other advocates will make the case that the change would save money and increase safety.
The debate shouldn't be all about money, though, said Henneke, who works with the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition. Henneke pointed to the recent death of Fort Bend County Jail inmate Emmanuel Akueir, a 17-year-old authorities said hanged himself.

"If we had passed this last session, that 17-year-old would not have been in that facility. So we're talking lives here," Henneke said. "Every year we don't pass this bill, that's another one of those kids. If you want to talk about costs, ask his parents about costs."

​https://www.texastribune.org/2017/01/30/raise-age/