A new law set to take effect next week could drastically change the state criminal justice system.

The law known as ‘Raise The Age’ takes effect October 1. It says 16-year-olds in trouble with the law must now be tried in family court. And if convicted, they will no longer be incarcerated in adult prisons.

Before this law, New York was one of only two states to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to be tried as adults. But there are still some concerns, especially where to house the teenagers. It’s an issue that a dozen Finger Lakes counties are working to fix.

“If a 16-year-old was arrested for a violent felony, we couldn’t put them in the county jail. So we need to find a solution, state law for scribes that we have to find a solution to deal with that. It becomes our problem,” said Jack Wheeler, Steuben County manager.

The law will expand to include 17-year-olds at this time next year.