Currently, Missouri is one of five states left that has not raised the age of majority. This means that the moment a child crosses the threshold from 16 into 17, they are adults in the eyes of the law and yet they can’t vote, enlist in the military or open a bank account.

Imagine being a parent. Your child is arrested late one night, at age 17, for driving around egging cars with their friends and knocking down mailboxes. When your child is arrested, there are drugs in the car. Your child is charged with property damage and possession of drugs and then must process through the system without your guidance. Your child will be questioned by police without you being present.

Once in jail or prison, your child must be kept “sight and sound” separated from adult offenders over the age of 18. This will translate into your child being kept in conditions that liken to solitary confinement. Further, and even more frightening, just by being locked in an adult facility, your child is 36 times more likely to commit suicide and is more likely to be sexually or physically abused.

When your child is eventually released from jail or prison, he or she may not be able to return to public school, and any misdemeanor or felony conviction will follow him or her, affecting the ability to get a job, find housing or enlist in the military. Additionally, your child is three times more likely than juvenile counterparts to return to that same adult justice system on a new case.

In comparison, Missouri’s juvenile justice system is equipped to help youth become productive members of society. The moment your child is detained, you, the parent, are phoned. Your child will not be questioned without you present, and you and your child can assert your child’s right to remain silent. And, if your child admits or is found guilty of the offense he or she is charged with, the juvenile justice system can provide educational services, mental health services, trauma therapy, counseling and mentoring services. Further, the charge is not a conviction, and as a parent you can ask the court to have your child’s record sealed after age 17. And, a child who leaves the juvenile justice system in Missouri is less likely to return to it with a new case.

Many people are concerned about the cost. My question is what is the cost of not raising the age? We are talking in terms of children’s futures, not just dollars and cents. States that have recently raised the age (Connecticut, Illinois and Massachusetts) have saved money, not spent it. They also reduced confinement, reallocated funds to more effective approaches that keep most young people in the community, while enhancing public safety.

Missouri’s juvenile justice system recognizes what every parent knows: that children are not miniature adults; with some guidance and support, they can become wondrous individuals. Missouri children deserve a chance. Give our children hope.

Sarah Johnson is director of juvenile defense and policy for the Missouri State Public Defender System.