There are many teenagers in the United States who are being charged life without parole in adult prison for crimes such as: involvement in a murder, second degree murder, first degree murder, and involuntary murder. Most people believe that when it comes to a juvenile murdering someone, they should be put in prison for life and tried as adults because it’s better for everyone in the situation. It’s understandable that adults believe teens know right from wrong even though their brains aren’t fully developed. Although they could be right, it’s proven that the majority of juveniles who are admitted to the adult system tend to develop mental disorders and are found to become more aggressive because of their surroundings, as a teenager myself, I believe there are other ways other than punishment for life for …show more content…
According to an article “ young offenders who were incarcerated were a staggering 67 percent more likely to be in jail (again) by the age of 25 than similar young offenders who didn’t go to prison”(Beuchamp). If that is the case now imagine how it would be if they’re in there for life, it’s a possibility that crimes could be committed there. Why have them in there for life when it can potentially make the issue a lot worse? It’s not the right thing to do, whether the offender murdered a person you cannot deprive them of their right to recuperate and make a change.
As mentioned before, the majority of juveniles who are admitted to adult prison tend to develop aggressive habits and become suicidal because of the environment they’re in. There is no way that a person can get better when his or her surroundings are unsafe and where they don’t get the attention they need to get better. Chances are that juvenile will probably get worse. Rehabilitation needs to be in a safe place like a juvenile detention
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.
We have seen today in society of how crime rates have been rampant and how statistics show that most of the crimes were being made by minors. I believe that when most of them look at the bottom of these young offenders come disproportionately from impoverished single-parent homes that are located in the neighbourhoods desinvertido and have high rates of learning disabilities, mental health, and substance abuse and problems with the help of the system of juvenile justice that can make a great return on a successful transition to adulthood. Their ages ranged from 20 and under, most are under fifteen years of age. Juveniles tried as adults must assume the same consequences as any other criminal and are subject to state prisons with inmates much higher and that have probably committed crimes much more tortuous then you could ever have. These minors between the ages of nine to twenty according to the offence committed or of the number of times that are prosecuted and believe that it is immutable.
[CITE] Therefore, incarcerating young offenders is an ineffective way in preventing the juvenile rate. Instead, it increases their chance of recidivism. Although there is structure in correctional facilites, there is a lack of positive reinforcement
The article “Juveniles Don’t Deserve Life Sentences” argues that children in prison need to be given a chance to mature and be rehabilitated (Garinger 9). Because these killers likely committed these crimes on impulse, they would often realize after the fact that they were wrong to do such an action. Therefore, when they are released, they will be more careful and think about their actions before committing. If they are given a life sentence, they will never be given this chance to fix their life. Older people who commit murders are less likely to learn from their mistakes since they put more thought into the killing than adolescents
When teen felons choose to act without thinking, they are putting other people’s lives at risk. They need to be charged as adults because the victims of the crimes will not be given the justice they deserve when they have to worry about that criminal harming them again. Although some people think that sending a juvenile through adult court gives them no hope, they should have given this a little thought before committing the crime. Teens need to think about the consequences and how their actions affect others before they act. When choosing between putting a violent adolescent in prison and taking the chance of letting them commit that crime again, it is most suitable to let the teen be tried as an adult and to place them in prison.
If a teenager were to commit murder, most people say that they should be sentenced to life without parole. If a teen is sentenced to life without parole, they are also sent to adult prisons. In adult prisons, teens do not “have access to any education” (Caitlin Curly), therefore, they cannot learn anything from prison. Even if some prisons have educational services, teens in adult prisons are “36 times more likely to commit suicide than those in juvenile facilities” (Caitlin Curly). Consequently, these teens won’t live with being in jail their whole lives.
In the article “Remember the Victims of Juvenile Offenders” Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins explains how the killer of her 26 year-old pregnant sister got away not only with that crime but others as well (Bishop-Jenkins 1). Bishop-Jenkins agrees how some teens need long term evaluation before they are able to rejoin the public, as a result should be tried as adults. If these criminals are shown there are no serious consequences for crimes then they will continue their antics. Teens should be tried as adults for felonies if they are unfit for juvenile detention centers for which they can not rehabilitate. Not only will it put criminals behind bars but will allow the victims to experience some
Noted that there is no way to predict or ultimately guarantee that 100% of juveniles sent to prison are new and refined citizens of society by the time that they are released. But the states should not forbid someone, let alone a teenager, the chance to prove that they can be a greater individual for themselves and for the public. This also gives the public the ability to not only heal but to possibly forgive the juvenile for the crimes that they have committed and accept them back into their community. To support this the Court claims that when an individual, especially a teenager, receives a sentence of life without parole, it numbs their humanity. It diminishes the chance for the youth to reform in any positive way because they lack the hope to continue with their lives.
Juveniles should be convicted as adults for violent crimes because it is not fair for juveniles to commit big crimes and get away with it so easily. If they want to act like adults, they should be treated. Some teens commit crimes and don't have a really good excuse on why they do it. In the article “On Punishment and Teen Killers” by Jennifer Jenkins she explains how the teenager that killed her sister, husband and her unborn child excuse of killing them was that he just wanted to “see what it would feel like to shoot someone”, which is no good excuse for what he did to this family. Another example from Jennifer's Jenkins article she states how “undeveloped brain” has nothing to do with teens committing these crimes.
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.
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.
I think there needs to be more attention to this issue. I think if more people are aware about this issue maybe there would be a better opportunity to fixing the problem. A lot of people are aware that children of color and adults of color are treated differently than a white children and adults when interacting with police officers. However, people overlook it.
I've grown up with the concept that police are not always the all-American, friendly ideal who want nothing more than for every "good" citizen to be safe. As young as in third grade I remember hearing from my father, a public defense attorney, about how police often target black and Hispanic male youth. Not only that, but jail inmates are kept in questionable conditions and sometimes subjected to horrific abuse. One inmate's case gained public attention when he posted an anti-police statement on Facebook and was subsequently arrested. While this man was in jail for another alleged crime, an angry guard allowed several other inmates into the inmate's cell to brutalize him.
I believe prisons are basically mini-cities/counties/countries and function the same way - in principle. The chow hall is a restaurant, the inmate commissary/store is the grocery store and bank, sick call is the minute clinic/hospital, education programs are the schools, and out of cell recreation time is the parks and recreation department. Prisons suffer the same ills that the general population suffers in the areas of medical problems, trends, outbreaks, and treatment strategies. I mention this because I believe addressing the issues associated with costs and changes should be on par with the general population. I was not surprised by the results presented in the report.
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.