Adults at 17? An arbitrary finding

Yes, Texas has a reputation as a tough-on-crime, lock-em-up state. But its work on prison and legal reform has gotten some deserved national attention.

Changing the state’s definition of adulthood when it comes to crime will continue this progress. That age is 17 years in Texas. The result, essentially, is youngsters thrown in with a decidedly older population. They are consequently more exposed to abuse from fellow inmates.