How can they possibly be tried as adults, when they are physically incapable of thinking like one? Juveniles are not allowed to drink, drive, get married, and if they sign legal contracts, their signatures are invalid. Why? Because adolescents are physically incapable of making mature, responsible, well-processed decisions; and this isn't just because of lack of inexperience in life. Adolescent brains are not fully developed until at least the age of 20. They lack the prefrontal cortex, the lobe of the brain that helps with reasoning and judgment. Teens also do not have a fully developed cerebellum, the area of the brain that helps control impulse. Without these two physical characteristics that separate the men from the boys, teenagers can not possibly be expected to endure the same consequence as fully matured adults.…
I feel, as do many others, that our court system has become much too harsh when it comes to punishing the youth. There is a difference when being tough on crime and giving kids punishments that do not fit the crime. More and more of today’s youth are being sent to adult prisons where they cannot be protected. In a juvenile prison, kids are given second chances. There they learn to right their ways and are sent back out in society where hopefully they will become responsible adults. In adult prisons however, its survival of the fittest. There is no protection for those kids and no one to guide them on the right path. Statistics show that kids sentenced to adult prisons are more likely to end up back behind bars within five years of being released or committing suicide.…
Juveniles in the adult criminal system are 34% more likely to be rearrested for another crime than youth retained in the juvenile system (Key Facts: Youth in the Justice System) so there for the juveniles aren’t learning their lesson. More and more teens are doing time alongside adults in prison recently after 100s years of adolescents committing serious crimes. Most juveniles tried as adults usually become reoffenders, they are not mature enough for adult jails, and they deserve another shot. Ultimately, the Juvenile Justice System was invented exactly for this purpose.…
“The only effective way to reduce and prevent juvenile crime is to balance tough enforcement measures with targeted, effective and intervention initiatives.” Juveniles are children and children don’t know any better and obviously make mistakes. They don’t expect to be caught after committing a serious crime. Juveniles brains are not fully developed until they are 25, but young people recognize them as adults at the age of 18. About 25,000 children a year have their cases sent to adult courts instead of being tried in juvenile courts, whose convicted defendants are usually set free by the time they turn 21. Trying juveniles as adults is not beneficial for them. But it also is a crime. And crimes are crimes whether…
Juveniles deserve a second chance at succeeding. The people have to remember that the children need our help and get them focus in positive things and give them the right guidance they need to succeed. There is various ways that a kid can get back on the right path, counseling, after school programs, rehabilitation, and, a positive role model. Each of these things have they own way to get the child involved.…
Imagine spending the rest of your life in prison for a crime you either committed or…
In 2010, juveniles committed 8% of homicides. (PBS 2014) When it comes to trying juveniles as adults, many people think that this is too harsh of a punishment for young criminals, but others think that they should get what they deserve. There is a famous saying “do the crime, do the time”. Our society tends to think that juveniles do not have the mental, and physical stabilities that adults do. Over the years, our society has changed their views and started treating children/juveniles as young adults. Some people think that juveniles should be given a second chance since they are our children of the future, but others disagree and believe that juveniles know what they are doing and that they should be tried as adults. Each juvenile case can be different and should be treated accordingly looking at the severity of the crime. Depending on the crime and the severity of the crime can depict what kind of punishment a juvenile can face.…
“Despite the fact that in America we incarcerate more juveniles for life terms than in any other country in the world, that truth is that the vast majority of youth offenders will one day be released. The question is simple and stark. Do we want to help them change or do we want to help them become even more violent and dangerous?” by Ayelet Waldman. The quote points out that the U.S. punishing juveniles by putting them in jail for lifetime more than any other countries around the world can be harmful and also helpful as the same time. Many states have also tried the method in a purpose of decreasing the crimes rate and as it has worked in some places, there are also some unexpected results over some places. A punishment of life without parole for juvenile criminals has become a big matter between people. Proponents argue that the plan is helpful and it has decreased the crimes rate over some places while opponents argue that punishments do only little change to behavior.…
A Juvenile probation officer may seem like an easy job because you would probably think that you just boss around teens and tell them what to do but, in fact, you're working with juveniles who may have committed dangerous or aggressive acts. Therefore, you should have a high tolerance for working in an emotionally demanding and stressful work environment. Also, they plan treatment programs for youth related to education, drug or alcohol treatment or other community-based treatment to change a variety of deviant behavior. The point is that working in this field will be mentally exhausting, but it can also be extremely rewarding.…
Juvenile courts and adult courts are both similar and different in many ways. They’re mainly similar in putting away offenders or giving a punishment. Juvenile courts and adult courts are different in the way that juveniles are not put on trial for committing crimes, but for delinquent actions, and when the delinquent actions are very severe, then they could be considered crimes and the juvenile could be tried as an adult in the adult court system. Also juveniles don’t have the same right to a public trial in front of a jury that adults do. Juvenile courts seem to be more lenient towards their offenders because in their case they are trying to rehabilitate and reform delinquents and then release them into public society. Whereas the purpose of adult court is simply to punish…
As Stacia Tauscher once said “we worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” For my opinion is true, young offender population has increased of the years. Parents may be worried about their children's future instead of watching them while they’re are in their sights.…
Sentencing is an “imposition of a penalty on a person convicted of a crime” (Schmalleger, 2014). Generally, sentencing is the last thing that occurs when an offender charged with a crime and the trial has ended. During a trial, each side will argue their case in front of a jury (if it is a jury trial); at which time said jury would deliberate and return with a verdict. Once the verdict comes back to the court, a date is set for sentencing. According to our textbook, “most sentencing decisions are made by the judge” (Schmalleger, 2014), there have been exceptions to this rule when there is the possibility of a death sentence at which time the jury may be involved.…
German Singer Q’orianka Kilcher once stated this quote about juveniles. “I think it's important for us as a society to remember that the youth within juvenile justice systems are, most of the time, youths who simply haven't had the right mentors and supporters around them - because of circumstances beyond their control.” This quote approaches one of America’s biggest question about juvenile justice. Should minors who have committed heinous crimes against the American Society be tried like an adult and given punishments like life in prison? This question was answered in a Supreme Court ruling that stated juveniles couldn’t be sentenced life in prison because minors were still minors, regardless of their crimes. However, despite this ruling,…
prepared to live in an environment with adults? 'They may be sentenced as adults but…
A tradeoff for option one, the termination of mandatory sentencing for minor offenses, convey a problematic idea. Giving these minor wrongdoers the inappropriate perception by committing a minor misconduct there won't be any aftermath. As concurred by Evan Bernick and Paul J. Larkin, Jr. (2014), “they argue that mandatory minimum sentences reflect a societal judgment that certain offenses demand a specified minimum sanction and thereby ensure that anyone who commits such a crime cannot avoid a just punishment”. Secondly elimination of mandatory sentencing rejects the idea of sentencing disparity, as agreed by Evan Bernick and Paul J. Larkin, Jr. (2014), “mandatory minimum…