Should Juvenile Offenders Be Sentenced To Life In Prison?
Life in prison is no joke, being sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of not having parole is even worse. Could you imagine being sentenced to life in prison as teenager with the possibility of not having parole, it must be hard to imagine that, spending the rest of your life in a box until you die. On June 25, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that juveniles who committed serious crimes could not be sentenced to life in prison. I strongly agree with the decision the Supreme Court made, it would be unfair for juveniles to be sentenced to life in prison. Gail Garinger’s article “Juveniles Don’t Deserve Life Sentences” published on March 14, 2012. Garinger states that 79 young adolescents have been sentenced to die in prison, and
that these children were told that they could never change and that no one cared what became of them. These children should be treated differently than adults being sentenced to life in prison. They are just children that are immature and are unaware of the consequences. Teenagers being convicted of major crimes can’t be sentenced to life in prison, but they should have a punishment on their crime. Imagine you are a teenager and a judge tells you that you have been sentenced to life in prison, if I was in that position I would have just break down crying nonstop. It is unfair for someone under the age to be sentenced to life in prison.
Brain development is a major key on life sentencing for teenagers. Paul Thompsons article “Startling Finds on Teenage Brains” thinks that the brain for teenagers it is not yet fully developed so they are unaware of the risks and consequences a crime has. Immaturity on teenagers plays big role on teenagers and crimes. For example, fourteen-year-old Nathaniel Brazil brought a gun to school and killed his teacher. Because he didn’t let Brazil sit next to someone. This explains the immaturity on teenagers and how they are quickly to react without having to think twice about what the consequences will be. This shows that juveniles shouldn’t be sentenced to life in prison.
All in all, even though the Supreme Court has changed the rule on life sentencing. Before that it was very unfair for teenagers to practically live and die in prison. The kids will have no life they will be scared emotionally and physically.
that these children were told that they could never change and that no one cared what became of them. These children should be treated differently than adults being sentenced to life in prison. They are just children that are immature and are unaware of the consequences. Teenagers being convicted of major crimes can’t be sentenced to life in prison, but they should have a punishment on their crime. Imagine you are a teenager and a judge tells you that you have been sentenced to life in prison, if I was in that position I would have just break down crying nonstop. It is unfair for someone under the age to be sentenced to life in prison.
Brain development is a major key on life sentencing for teenagers. Paul Thompsons article “Startling Finds on Teenage Brains” thinks that the brain for teenagers it is not yet fully developed so they are unaware of the risks and consequences a crime has. Immaturity on teenagers plays big role on teenagers and crimes. For example, fourteen-year-old Nathaniel Brazil brought a gun to school and killed his teacher. Because he didn’t let Brazil sit next to someone. This explains the immaturity on teenagers and how they are quickly to react without having to think twice about what the consequences will be. This shows that juveniles shouldn’t be sentenced to life in prison.
All in all, even though the Supreme Court has changed the rule on life sentencing. Before that it was very unfair for teenagers to practically live and die in prison. The kids will have no life they will be scared emotionally and physically.