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Should Juveniles Be Tried As Adults Essay

1188 Words5 Pages

There has been substantial debate throughout the years over whether juveniles should be tried as adults. Juveniles are still children; age does not indicate maturity when the brain is not entirely developed at that age. Juveniles require rehabilitation as well as additional resources to improve their conduct and address any underlying issues that cause their delinquent behavior. Those kinds of resources and assistance are not available in the adult criminal justice system. The adult criminal justice system does not benefit or help adolescents better their lives; on the contrary, it creates an additional amount of trauma and abuse. Minors should not be litigated as adults. In most cases juveniles should be tried and convicted as juveniles because …show more content…

The goal was to offer an enhanced and optimized process for engaging with underage criminals. The new approach involved providing a more compassionate and rehabilitative approach as well as resolving the deeper factors which contribute to adolescents' illicit conduct. In the years before, children convicted were sentenced as adults because there was not a separate court for juveniles. The rise in violent crime rates resulted in several states enacting broad modifications to facilitate prosecuting juveniles in adult criminal courts (Scialabba). Ortiz alludes that even if a minor indulges in a violent crime, there is no justification for trying them as an adult. It is apparent in the United States that there should be certain boundaries for adolescents, which is why it is prohibited for them to engage in certain activities like drinking alcohol, being able to vote, and getting married. In essence, the author's point is that there are laws that prohibit youth from engaging in certain events, but these laws are not applicable when it comes to trying juveniles as adults. It is evident that society recognizes the difference between adults and juveniles. When it comes to the criminal justice system charging minors as adults, the laws regulating adolescents contradict each other. Juveniles should be treated consistently; situations should not modify …show more content…

It may seem that the juvenile criminal justice system is too lenient, but preventive and rehabilitative approaches can be utilized to minimize juvenile aggressive conduct; they have been proven to be effective through a study executed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Steenson 246). Through this research, it is evident that the measures taken by the juvenile criminal justice system are effective against violent delinquents. The help designated for juveniles is intended specifically for youth. Furthermore, some would argue that there is now a greater probability that juveniles will commit major and fatal crimes. Yes, it is true, but according to scientific studies, punitive methods used in adult court have minimal to no impact on adolescents incarcerated as adults, and the percentage of repeat offenders is higher in several states (Scialabba). This evidence suggests that juveniles convicted in adult court are not effective in minimizing the outcomes of violent transgressions. Minors should remain in the juvenile criminal justice system, as their approach has a greater impact on

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