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Pros And Cons Of Proposition 21

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The exact definition of a juvenile is a “young person” who has yet to reach their 18th birthday. The average life expectancy of someone living in the U.S. is about 79 years old. Proposition 21 requires juveniles to be viewed and tried as adults, including receiving adult punishment such as a life sentence. If a juvenile receives a life sentence before they reach adulthood, more than three-fourths of their life is gone (“California Proposition 21”). Juveniles don’t even have a fully developed brain and as a result, can’t fully understand the circumstances that they find themselves in. Courts must not be given the power to try and sentence juveniles as adults because the environment in adult prisons are for adults, not juveniles, therefore, Proposition 21 should be repealed. When a juvenile enters an adult court, they are looked at no longer as an adolescent, but as an adult. However, they are not adults. Juveniles are actually far from it, not just physically, but mentally as well. It is known that the human brain, specifically the prefrontal cortex and the frontal lobe, does not stop developing up until the age of 25 years old. These two parts of the brain are …show more content…

It is almost always evident that when these kids go through adult trials that they have no idea what’s taking place. Most people at these ages can't grasp onto adult responsibilities and legalities or they have't even heard of such things like parliamentary procedure. The director of the MacArthur Division Laurence Steinberg says that juveniles that are being tried as adults are not competent hold their own. “In all likelihood, a large number of juveniles who are being tried as adults are not competent to stand trial,” (Salant 3). On top of that, these kids aren’t allowed to speak to any form of relative during trial. This is just unfair for the accused. Proposition 21 is essentially setting juveniles up for harsh

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