BOSTON, Mass. - Charles "Castro" Rosario grew up in Worcester, and on Thursday he was outside of the state house in Boston rallying for raise the age.

"We need to invest in our youth, not arrest our youth," said Rosario to the crowd. 

Bills active in the House and Senate would raise the juvenile court age to 21, allowing everyone 20 and under to be tried as a juvenile. 

Rosario was just 15 years old when he first went to jail. Starting at 21, he did 20 years for second degree murder, being released just a year and a half ago. He has now dedicated his life to helping young people do the right thing, before they get past the point of no return. 

"We need to create an environment for our young people that is conducive to their success in life. If we throw them away into the system while they're still trying to figure it out, we're just giving up on them. We're just saying to them, we're sending them a message that they don't matter, that we don't believe in their potential and that we don't believe in our own future as a society," said Rosario. 

Several people shared their stories, and even more held signs on the steps of the state house, nodding in agreement. This demonstration is made up of about a dozen groups from all over the state, all with the same mission - to give young people an opportunity for privacy when they make mistakes at a young age. 

"When I think about this legislation, it's about second chances...We need to be a commonwealth that understands that every single human being has dignity, has the ability to change, and deserves a true, honest second chance at life when they make a mistake," Rep. Manny Cruz said.

Cruz says as amazing as programs like boys and girls clubs or high school coaches are, they just aren’t equipped to keep kids out of trouble. He believes sending youthful offenders to the Department of Youth Services, who he says has the resources, will drastically help keep young people from reoffending.