Juveniles In Adult Prisons

Research has shown that transferring adolescents from juvenile court to criminal court increases the recidivism rate. Thus, exposing minors to adult treatment increases crime. Generally, juvenile detention facilities are equip for rehabilitation, offering programs to aid reformation. Society does not hold youth to the same maturity level of an adult. Furthermore, juveniles are not afforded the same rights as adults (e.g. smoking, drinking, voting) because we understand their inability to make responsible decisions. The developmental differences are what set an adult apart from a child. In Judging Juveniles, Aaron Kupchik argues that if we understand the psychological needs of adolescents, why do we transfer them to criminal court? In his study

The face of American crime has evolved from adults to the not so innocent faces of adolescence. In today’s society, it is not uncommon for people to fear just walking into public places because they don’t know what horrendous actions may occur due to the indifferent, disrespectful actions of some of America’s youth. Parents are often hesitant to send their children to school because they feel that they cannot trust their child’s fellow classmates. This lack of trust and apprehension was evident in Wisconsin, where two thirteen year old girls attempted to murder one of their fellow classmates. Their reasoning was that they were trying to imitate a fictional character that they saw on the internet. These two young girls were tried as adults

The article, “The Steep Costs of Keeping Juveniles in Adult Prisons” written by Jessica Lahey states, “Juveniles constitute 1,200 of the 1.5 million people housed in federal and state prisons in this country, and nearly 200,000 youth enter the adult criminal-justice system each year, most for non-violent crimes.” Minors should not be tried as adults because their brains are not developed, they may come from bad backgrounds, and they have their whole life ahead of them, and their life should not be determined by the mistakes they made as a child. Juveniles who are usually 14 or older who have committed serious crimes are tried as adults and are put into adult-state prisons. This is inhumane and unsafe for the child’s physical and mental health.

In the United States, there have been many cases where a juvenile would be found guilty and be tried as an adult. There are other cases where those juveniles are tried as adult forever. I am against charging juveniles as adults when they commit violent crimes, the juveniles lose many educational opportunities and the adult system is far too dangerous for the young juveniles.

Why should teen felons get to spend their jail time in juvenile detention centers for committing the same crimes as adults? In today’s world, teens are increasingly committing violent crimes and being put in juvenile detention centers. Teens need to be tried as adults because it helps to bring justice to families of victims, and it also teaches the teens accountability. Charging teens as adults will also help reduce crime in the United States. Although many people feel that teens should not be given severe punishments because they are immature and innocent, they have not considered the problem teens are creating by committing these crimes.. In reality, if teens are old enough and mature enough to commit violent and vicious crimes, they should

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.

Juvenile crimes are essentially crimes committed by adolescents. Some examples of juvenile crimes include homicides, robberies, and drug use. While these crimes are basically the same crimes that adults commit, the difference is that they are committed by adolescents and the motivation behind these crimes. The motives for which a crime may have been committed are stronger in adolescents such as stress, jealousy, impulse, or simply an attempt to seek attention. These things are important factors in differentiation between juvenile and adult crimes. While the crime committed may be atrocious, adolescents should not be sentenced to life in prison without parole; therefore, they should be given a chance to correct themselves through parole.

There are certain instances of juveniles being tried as adults and sometimes ending up getting a life sentence without a chance of parole. I find that pretty harsh because there have been some cases where the juvenile meant no harm, they were either confused or brought along by gang members and they end up being charged along with the gang members for just being with them when a crime goes down. I believe that juveniles do not deserve to be given a life sentence because for one they are still maturing, they can learn from their mistakes and make amends, we still have to combat crimes like intended murder committed by a juvenile with extreme punishments especially if they are well over the age of 16.

According to Department of corrections and rehabilitation there is approximately 2.3 million adult offenders currently detained and which consist of 316,229 prisoners which are overseen by correctional officers on an ongoing basis costing on an average of $49 per prisoner, additionally their current budget is approximately $11 billion, which is distributed between 33 state prisons, 40 camps, as well as 12 community correctional facilities.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Admittedly, in the United States, there are a large number of inmates currently on death row that have a psychological disorders due to correctional institutions programs. In the article, Death Row Inmate Characteristics, Adjustment, and Confinement: A Critical Review of the Literature by Mark D. Cunningham and Mark P. Vigen (2002) conducted a study to review research on death row inmates and the long-term effects of being incarcerated while waiting on death row. Additionally, the authors examined research on juvenile offenders on death row in the United States, finding that juvenile offenders are mostly executed around the age of 17 years old. According to, the study conducted the authors that argue “Approximately 70% of juvenile offenders

About 10,000 are housed in adult prisons due to the severity of the crime they committed. Juveniles can come in all forms. From murders, rapists, serial killers, and etc., all of these people are a threat to the world. Relating back to the two girls, if convicted they would be facing the next 65 years in jail, but if not they can be free by the age of 25.Would they develop a better mindset by then or do we keep them imprisoned? Some juveniles have done some unthinkable crimes such as killing their entire family, armed robberies, rape, forming group alliances to kill individuals as part of games, or stabbing a best friend to death. A thirty-year-old can commit these crimes and easily be sent to life or death, but why such a debate when a fourteen–year-old does it. Especially the violent cases should be looked at carefully. There are multiple instances of children killing their entire family for the joy of it. Why should that child be given only ten years in a juvenile prison when no remorse was shown and they received pleasure from it. This creates danger and panic to the public. By giving juveniles short or no sentences can cause people to not feel comfortable about

A teenager kills his parents, another even younger boy kills his teacher by bringing a gun to school and fatally shooting him. Do these juveniles deserve a second chance? The simplest answer is, no. There are juvenile offenders that have rehabilitated and maybe do deserve parole. But most will not rehabilitate and will continue their life of crime if they are granted this. The age of a person should not be a factor, the unknowingness of their actions of what is right and wrong will always be present when they commit a crime, and the “underdeveloped brain” argument is also not very true.

Can you imagine waking up behind closed walls and bars? Waking up to see your inmate who is a 45-year-old bank robber and you are a 14-year-old minor who made a big mistake. This is why minors who have committed crimes should not be treated the same as adults. Some reasons are because the consequences given to minors in adult court would impact a minor’s life in a negative way. If a minor is tried through a juvenile court, they have a greater chance of rehabilitation.

In America there is an large number of American teens that are serving life in prison without a chance at parole, but it is with good reason although people may argue the fact that teens still have undeveloped minds I think they have the common sense to know that in no way is it okay to take away someone's life away and some people say that everyone deserves a second chance and they learn from there mistakes but how comfortable would you be knowing you next door neighbor is a murderer? Also you have to take into account that that person apparently thought someone else shouldn't be able to live another day on this earth so why should that person be able to ever walk free on our earth again, doing such actions as if they are a god of some kind is unfathomable, but a big part in the sides is perspective because people like me who want to live in the