Every year in the United States, children as young as 13 are sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison without any chance for release. Approximately 2,500 children have been sentenced to juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) in the United States. Although the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June 2012 that juveniles convicted of murder cannot be subject to a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. I also completely disagree with the majority of U.S Supreme Court ruling that argued to abolish mandatory life sentences to juveniles who commit murder, because if an immature teenager is able to carry out a murder and complete it, that teenager under the age of 18 or not they should suffer the consequence for the crime committed. Also no matter the age of the murderer, the law was still broken when the crime was committed. …show more content…
They shouldn’t do that because if the person was an adult, the judge will put them to prison for life, I really disagree with the court and judges, everything should be fair in the cases. In the article by jennifer Jenkins it says teens are being tried as adults and sentenced to prison I agree, but they talk about how the brain is not developing, but they took someone’s life away either way they should get punished no matter what it don’t matter what age you are. So basically what I am trying to say even if you 're young it doesn’t matter everyone should get the same sentence as an adult they don’t get nothing off easy period. Also here are the quotes of Jennifer Jenkins punishment and Teen Killers 16 and 17 year olds, are ‘thrill kill’ and ‘see what it would feel like to shoot someone” and The teens are being tried as adults and sentenced to prison and I don’t agree with that, But that’s what the court does. Judges should be fair and not feel bad for the
It also has to be taken into consideration that children who commit these crimes should not be placed with adults as it will severely hurt their rehabilitation. In the article Juvenile Justice: Can Young Criminals Be Reformed? On Commonlit and Written by Carl Stoffers published by The New York Times Upfront December 11, 2017. This article mentions Noah Schultz, a teen who moved out of an adult jail to a juvenile center "Most of my clients had never heard of life imprisonment without parole and had no capacity to appreciate what it would mean," (Stoffers 35-36).
Rochelle V. Bulagao ESL 102 Gary Sosa December 16, 2014 Yes to Juvenile Parole Juvenile justice has been a controversial issue. People argue and debate regarding whether or not to sentence juveniles to life in prison for murder. Even though the Supreme Court finally declared that juveniles who murdered should not be sentenced to life in prison, because it violated one of the amendments or in other words was unconstitutional, families of the victims could not approve it and continue fighting for the refusal of granting parole to convicted teens. But juveniles are young individual that can get easily pressured by intense situations therefore, I am against of putting juveniles behind bars for life. It is not right to put them
In the article “On Punishment and Teen Killers” published by the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange on Aug 2,2011 the author, Jennifer Jenkins, points out how teen killers should be tried as adults for crimes committed at an adult level. Jenkins states that “... I understand how hard it is to accept the reality that a 16 or 17 year old is capable of forming such requisite criminal intent.” If a the teen intended to kill someone then they should be locked up, but if that was not the intention then they should get the help necessary instead of being locked
What if your loved one was savagely killed by a teenager with no remorse? Juveniles should be convicted as adults for ferocious crimes because even though they are “kids” they kill innocent people and should get punished for the crime they committed. Teenagers commit gruesome crimes like murder and knowing what they are makes the situation far worse. In the article “Kids are Kids-Until They Commit Crimes” the author Jennifer Jenkins talks about the teenagers that committed gory murders against innocent people that didn’t deserve to die like a road animal. For example, a 13 year old shot to death an english teacher.
A kid is a kid until the age of eighteen, then in the eyes of the law they are legally an adult. So why do the court systems trial a juvenile as an adult at the age of thirteen or fourteen? Mistakes are made and when the courts put kids behind bars for a life sentence and are not giving them the chance to change. To these juveniles, being sentenced to life is a slap in the face says to them that they will never have the chance of fixing or learning from that mistake that they have made. That they have to face a life sentence and have that burden on them forever.
Crimes are happening around us whether we pay attention to them or not. Those crimes as dangerous as murder are committed by all ages but should younger criminal in their juvenile age received the same punishment as older criminals. On June 25, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that juveniles committed murder could not be sentenced to life in prison because it violates the Eighth Amendment.(On-Demand Writing Assignment Juvenile Justice) Advocates on the concurring side believes that mandatory life in prison is wrong and should be abolish. However, the dissenting side believe that keeping the there should be a life in prison punishment for juvenile who commit heinous crime regardless of their age.
Juvenile Justice Justice Elena Kagan spoke for the majority of the supreme court, “Mandatory life without parole for a juvenile precludes consideration of his chronological age and its hallmark features—among them, immaturity, impetuosity, and failure to appreciate risks and consequences.” This was the ruling of the Supreme Court case on June 25, 2012. Juveniles are no longer allowed to be sentenced a life sentence without parole. The majority is correct, the underdeveloped, adolescent mind is still growing and cannot be compared to an adult’s. A major influence during childhood is the media.
In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that it is immoral to give juveniles life sentences, even if they commit a crime as serious as murder, because it is a cruel and unusual punishment. This has been an issue in America as teenagers are often treated as adults in court due to a belief that their crimes warrant a harsh punishment. Many believe that these kids should not be given such major sentences because they are still immature and do not have the self control that adults do. I agree that juveniles do not deserve life sentences because they put less thought and planning into these crimes and they often are less malicious than adults. The article “Startling Finds on Teenage Brains” explains that the teenagers lose brain tissue that is responsible for self control and impulses (Thompson 7).
When people commit crimes, there should be disciplined no matter what. Juveniles need to learn that their behaviors have consequences. Why should kids be given any less of a punishment for committing the same crime? According to one author, “Taking a life is murder regardless of the age of the offender, and the penalties to be imposed must not discriminate. After all, the victim’s life will never be returned, and the family will permanently lose their loved one” (“7 Top Pros and Cons of Juveniles Being Tried As Adults”).
Juveniles should be tried as adults with life without parole but only in certain cases: depending on their motive or modus operandi, their crime, and criminal background. Motivation Scandalous kids who commit crimes for unreasonable motives should most definitely have life without the possibility of parole. In some cases, they’re just doing what they think is best. Jacob Ind, a 15 year old from Colorado, was beaten and sexually molested by his step father. His mother abused him as well.
Juveniles should be tried as adults due to being aware of their crimes and having an intention to kill, however, brain development and maturity can play a role into the reason why teens kill. With being tried as an adult juveniles should be granted the opportunity of freedom pending on their rehabilitation status and if requirements are not met, convicts will have to complete the remainder of their sentence. People have long argued that juveniles who commit a murder should not be tried as an adult due the juvenile not being aware of their crime. Awareness, as defined by the Webster Dictionary, is “the knowledge and understanding that something is happening or exists”. Having the perception to comprehend the occurrence of an event is not a dumbfounded characteristic.
In our society, crimes are being committed not only by adults but by juveniles as well. By law as soon as a person turns 18 they are considered to be an adult. So what if an adult and a juvenile were to commit the same crime yet were sentenced differently simply based on the fact that one is a child and one is an adult? Juveniles are committing violent crimes just as adults and should be given the equal treatment and sentencing as adults receive. Juveniles aren’t completely ignorant as everyone seems to think.
Juveniles should be convicted as adults for violent crimes because it is not fair for juveniles to commit big crimes and get away with it so easily. If they want to act like adults, they should be treated. Some teens commit crimes and don't have a really good excuse on why they do it. In the article “On Punishment and Teen Killers” by Jennifer Jenkins she explains how the teenager that killed her sister, husband and her unborn child excuse of killing them was that he just wanted to “see what it would feel like to shoot someone”, which is no good excuse for what he did to this family. Another example from Jennifer's Jenkins article she states how “undeveloped brain” has nothing to do with teens committing these crimes.
Juvenile Justice Should juveniles get treated as adults that’s one of the biggest controversy in our nation now days, with many juveniles committing crimes that are inconceivable according to their age. Judges have the last word on how to treat this young people. Many people argue that “the teens that are under eighteen are only kids, they won’t count them as young adults, not until they commit crimes. And the bigger the crime, the more eager this people are to call them adults” (Lundstrom 87). This is why people can’t come to a decision as how these young people should be treated like.
Juveniles Justice Juveniles who are criminals being sentenced to life without parole can be shocking to some people. I believe if a juvenile is able to commit a crime, then they are able to do the time. The article “Startling finds on Teenage Brains” talks about how the brain can be different from the time you are teens to the time you are an adult. After, considering both sides on juvenile justice it is clear that juveniles should face life without parole because they did the crime so they can do the time. Also I believe the juvenile’s age should not influence the sentence and the punishment give.