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Why Do Criminals Commit Juvenile Killers?

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Teenagers are more than capable of committing heinous crimes contrary to their perceived youth. On June 25, 2012, the Supreme Court in a split decision decided that juveniles who committed murder could not be given life sentences because it violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. In other words, the majority believes that juvenile murderers can’t be sentenced to life because it is inconsiderate of their youth and immaturity as well as the environment they grew up in. On the other hand, the minority believes that juveniles who commit heinous crimes should be sentenced to life in prison because not only does it reflect the will of American society, but it also prevents them from having the chance of being released back into it. Though I concede that an abusive or manipulative environment could have influenced their decision to purposely end someone’s life, I still agree with the minority that, to protect our society from their atrocity, juveniles should be given life sentences for murder. Juvenile killers should take responsibility for their actions because they have the mental capacity to make conscious decisions for themselves--no matter how impetuous--even if that decision is murder. Granting that juveniles are indeed living in a dysfunctional environment which they believe is inescapable, the environment itself doesn’t force a teenager’s hand in killing …show more content…

While an abusive or manipulative environment could have incited them to murder someone, I still insist that juveniles should be given life sentences for murder. They have the capacity to judge the morality of their decisions by themselves, and they should be appropriately punished for making the wrong choices. Life sentences are far from being a cruel and unusual punishment; therefore, the Supreme Court should revise their decision regarding punishment for juvenile

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