Life Sentences: Illegal Or Inhumane?

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..

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.

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.

On the other, some adults, believe that juveniles shouldn’t be given harsh adult sentences because they do not have the judgment and intellect to recognize right from wrong. It has been a proven fact that individuals between the ages of 12 and 18 have a higher tested IQ than the average American Adult, and this shows that adolescents are more knowledgeable then they are said to be. Juveniles across America are now living with the lifestyle of adult sentences for their crimes because they are being held accountable for their actions, it brings justice to their victims, and because they are expected to have a higher moral

Some may think that kids wouldn’t be able to do a crime as bad as a grown person. On the news, internet, or social media, people see what horrible crimes some people commit, but most of those accused have one thing in common: age over 18. Some of the crimes committed are murder, rape, and others. Furthermore, there are times where juveniles, people who commit crimes under the age of 18, being tried as adults. The offenses that trigger the juveniles to be tried as an adult are generally, again, murder and rape.

A child doesn’t have the same standards as an adult has. A good example is children don’t get to join the military as an adult could they must be 18 years and older to join the military. Teenagers don’t make the same decisions as an adult would. “With appropriate treatment most children who commit crimes, even the most violent crimes, can be rehabilitated and become responsible adults. ”(Berger)

But they fail to realize that the system we have now throws anyone in jail no matter if the person committed the crime or not. They also fail to realize that the current system sentencing isn't organized or fair because there are people out there innocent and people who don’t deserve that time that was given for petty crimes. The current system doesn’t seek for justice, they see everyone who gets arrested as a criminal and feels they should be thrown away for a very long time and that isn't fair. Sentencing reforming is highly recommended due to the outrageous modern sentencing practices we have today. People go to jail or maybe even prison for such petty crimes that doesn't deserve the many years that were given to them.

When juveniles commit crimes, people say they are not fully aware of what they are implementing. People also say that juveniles should not be sent to life in prison because they haven’t lived their full life and they need to experience more within the world. What they have not noticed is that they need to somehow learn from their mistakes. How are they going to learn if they supposably “do not” know what they did

In other words, mandatory sentencing for repeating offenders that have not learned their lesson and also so they stop committing crimes in the street since they are imprisoned. What the law basically states is that if you are a felon that has two felonies in their record and gets charged with a third felony, you must received the maximum sentence for the type of felony. With this law follows a lot of controversy. Some people believe that it is too harsh and can ruin a person's life. Others believe it is well deserved as you get 3 chances to better yourself.

A lot of people believe that age should not be considered at all when the felony is extremely severe. Justice needs to be served and they need to pay for the crime they have committed, juvenile or not. According to the Time magazine article ‘What Makes Teens Tick’ Dr. Jay Giedd states that “The very last part of the brain to be pruned or shaped to its adult dimensions is the prefrontal cortex, home of the executive functions.” An adult brain is different than teens, because an adult brain is more developed.

Moreover, this type of issue has been sighted throughout history, although some negative police force cases falsely informed of the higher power. Such as cases from ancient times where laws did not apply to them. As this progressed, worsening through the 1800’s to the late 1900’s, the wrongly using the police force has affected many including the community’s trust in the Justice system. One such case titled as, Escobedo v. Illinois, where a law enforcement arrested a suspect for obtaining a confession to a previous murder, in which they undoubtedly ignored telling the suspect about is right to remain silent or the right to have a consultation with his attorney. Providing using methods as “....they confronted him with an alleged accomplice who accused him of having perpetrated a murder…”

It is debated that juveniles are committing more serious and violent crimes because the youth think they can get off easy and take advantage of the system put in place. Those in favor of youth offenders being tried as adults believe that as juveniles are punished to the full extent of the law, future youth offender will think twice before committing a criminal act. In support of this, seventy-five percent of the transferred juveniles interviewed by Redding and Fuller (2004) felt that their experiences in the adult criminal justice system had taught them the serious consequences of committing crimes. As one juvenile explained, “[Being tried as an adult] showed me it’s not a game anymore. Before, I thought that since I’m a juvenile I could do just about anything and just get 6 months if I got

It’s not every day you see young adolescents committing murder and heinous crimes, but unfortunately there are days when a young teen walks in the courtroom with handcuffs ready to hear their trial, punishment and sentencing. It is hard to understand how anyone can have these thoughts about brutal, horrifying crimes, but it’s even harder to understand how anyone can oppose punishment for these criminals just because of their age. “On June 25, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that juveniles who committed murder could not be sentenced to life in prison because it violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment” I would like to give my opinion and say that there is nothing cruel and unusual about giving an underaged “child” a

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).

Some people believe that minors shouldn’t get life in prison because they are “just kids”, others believe that minors should get life in prison if needed to. I highly believe and agree with those who believe minors should get life in prison,because if they had the courage to commit a big serious crime then they should also have the courage to accept the consequences given to them. If you really think about it,if one doesn’t give them a serious consequences due to their action they’re going to think that it’s okay,that the court system will take it easy on them because just because they are “just children”, which it shouldn’t be like that. Criminals are criminals whether they are children or adults. Age is just a number but their crime is