Did you know that nearly three thousand children worldwide have been sentenced to life imprisonment without the opportunity for parole? Well according to Equal Justice Initiative, children as young as thirteen years old have been tried as adults and sentenced to die in prison (1). Since more children have been committing more crimes over the years they are being held accountable by the popular slogan, “If you’re old enough to do the crime, you’re old enough to do the time”. However, we need to understand and realize as Terry Maroney, the assistant professor for Vanderbilt Law, states, “Juveniles are not adults, and saying so doesn’t make it so” (2). Juveniles are kids and just because they chose or were force to choose the wrong path, do …show more content…
They believe juvenile courts should be abolished, because they serve little to no purpose at all. CliffNotes, states, the juvenile court is founded on false premises because its purpose is to shield youths from the consequences of their own actions (2). Children who are able to commit crimes should be able to face the consequences and punishment and not be protected by others. Steven Erickson, a forensic scientist says “Even a 5-year-old knows it 's wrong to kill people” (Lyons 7). If young children know committing murder, rape, or selling drugs is wrong, the older children should know it too. The threat of this harsher punishment will result in lowered juvenile crime rates. A juvenile who is tried as an adult could end up being scared straight, which will deter them from continuing to break the law (Pros and Cons of Juveniles Being Tried As Adults 2). People and some parents believe once juveniles have a taste of real life through punishment they will change. The difference in age in two people should not determine their punishment if they have committed the same crime under the same or similar pretenses (“Equal Punishment for Adults and Juveniles.” 3) Just because they are not the same age does not mean they should be subjected to different punishments. If he has committed an adult crime, or violent crime, a harsher punishment is needed, a child will not be taught anything or learn to take responsibility for their actions, if they are treated with special care and consideration when acting as an adult (“Equal Punishment for Adults and Juveniles.” 3) If you are able to commit the crime or crimes than you should be able to do the time, and it should not matter if you are young, middle aged, or
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. One of the many reasons that minors should not be tried as adults is because their brains are not fully developed, so they cannot make good decisions until they are older, far into their twenties.
“Cruel and Unusual: Sentencing 13- and 14-Year-Old Equal Justice Initiative Children to Die in Prison” by the Equal Justice Initiative (2007) gives a plethora of examples of children sentenced as adults and factors that influence crime at such a young age. Children need the chance to grow and be rehabilitated into
People argue that some juveniles are “too young and they don’t understand” but either way, they still broke the law and should be fairly punished. A fact stating “There are approximately 6,000 juveniles in adult jails and prisons in the United States” shows that people who have broken the law with felonies have been confined by law, no matter the age. People need to learn before they act in a similar manner, again. A similar case is a boy named Craig Price from Rhode Island who had committed multiple felonies, such as four murders and was charged as a minor, meaning he was arrested around age 16 and would get out and have his criminal record sealed at age 21. Because of this, a law was changed so that juveniles could be tried as adults with serious crimes.
According to “Kids in Prison” by Brian Hansen, juveniles are being tried as adults for violent and non-violent crimes. Kids being tried as adult is the most controversial topic the world cannot agree on today. It is hard to pick one side due to every case being a different situation, but I think I have established a well-thought opinion. Children should not be tried as adults due to their level of cognitive capability, proneness to harm in adult prisons, and their inability to be rehabilitated in a harmful environment. First, a child’s cognitive thinking is at a different level than an adult’s, so a child does not have the means to survive in an adult prison.
By sending these juveniles to an adult court, they are facing the risk of being punished more harshly than they would have been if they were convicted in a juvenile court. Once a juvenile is involved with the criminal justice system, they are more likely to reoffend and continue being involved with the criminal justice system as they become
Kids Shouldn’t be Judged as an Adult Studies have found that 2,000,000 kids are taken into custody each year and are sentenced for misdemeanors and felonies. Out of the two-million, 250,000 kids below the age of 18 have been convicted as adults. In jails, the majority are denied of education and are left on their own during their sentence. Many oppose the idea of punishing a child as an adult and find it as a cruel and unusual punishment, due to their child ignorance. Another majority support the idea, finding that juveniles recognize the consequences of breaking the rules, which justifies them as adults.
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. In the article published by the New York Times on March 14, 2012 “Juveniles Don’t Deserve Life Sentences”, Garinger discusses that juveniles deserve a second chance since their brains are still developing.
It has an opposite effect on young offenders. Hence, raising the age for juvenile crimes allow young offender have more time to focus on rehabilitation. Cohn,
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).
The unfaltering dissension about sentencing juveniles to life in prison without parole has yielded opposition in the criminal justice system and dysfunction towards the young lives facing unsettled, extreme punishment for their mitigating crimes. While this particular topic can branch to very detailed discussions in divergent aspects such as: socially, politically, scientifically, and morally, it should be eliminated to only two characteristics: is it fair and is it right? Although it seems painless and facile to act on impulse when punishing juvenile criminals severely, the consequences are ineffective and adverse to the needs of the victims, the development of adolescent offenders, and the primary function of the criminal justice system.
When Terry talks about how in Illinois lowering the age limit for maximum juvenile imprisonment, it was unclear as to if Illinois lowered the age because of the boys or if it was a recent change. Also, not many sources were used to explain why the boys should be imprisoned. Dr. Perry and Jay Hoffman were sources that had said the boys need to be punished to teach them a better sense of right or wrong, but there was no support as to if that punishment is really the correct solution or as to why should go that route. Jay Hoffman also did not provide a valid reason other than that it’s his “sense of what the public very much wants” for why children who commit an adult crime should simply be punished like an adult. I disagree with the idea of just
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”).
There are many children in the world who are being put behind bars and detained for alleged wrongdoing without protections they are entitled to. Throughout the world, children are charged and sentenced for actions that should not be considered as adult crimes. Here in the United States, the minimum age of criminal responsibility is age 12. Law enforcement officials and those in the juvenile justice system nationwide tend to mistreat underage individuals by trying cases while working through the lens of an adult. Unfair punishments are still handed down domestically, which is in violation of Supreme Court law.
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.
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.