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Prosecuting Juveniles In Adult Court

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Prosecuting Juveniles In Adult Court
Prosecuting Juveniles in Adult Court

Kimberly Washington

Introduction to Statistics for Criminal Justice
Ayana Conway, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
September 30, 2013

Abstract
This research paper will examine whether or not juveniles that commit violent crimes should be tried as an adult. Through research, I will establish an argument that children who commit the crimes of an adult should be punished as an adult. Data based on experience and observation detailing the number of juvenile offenders that are housed in adult prisons and jails, as well as the number of prisoners serving life sentences that were earned by committing violent crimes before the age of 15 will be included in this research paper. Finally, I suggest that children who commit crimes that are considered violent enough to even be considered for adult criminal court should in fact be tried in that very venue.
Keywords: juveniles, violent crimes, adult prosecution

Prosecuting Juveniles in Adult Court In this paper, I will look at current scholarly thought to determine the effectiveness of trying juveniles as adults in a court of law. In extreme instances, juveniles of a broad range of ages have committed violent crimes that the criminal justice system has determined to be impossible to have been committed by the accepted frame of mind of a juvenile. These juveniles were tried in adult court and sentenced accordingly. The purpose of my research is to examine juveniles who have been tried as adults and to discuss its strengths and weaknesses. I will analyze the information that I gather and will provide a strong case that this practice is appropriate. Many people believe that some crimes are so terrible that the courts should focus on the type of offense and not on the age of the accused. Several authors address the issues surrounding juveniles who are tried as adults (Hudson, 2009; Mason, Chapman, Chang & Simons, 2003; Nunez, Tang, 2003). Hudson (2009) emphasizes


References: Bower, B. (2007, April). Violent justice: adult system fails young offenders. ScienceNews, 171, 243. Bower, B. (2007, November). Crime growth: early mental ills fuel young-adult offending. ScienceNews, 172, 308. Hudson, D. (2009). Adult time for adult crimes. American Bar Association Journal, 95, 139-141. Kupchik, A. (2006). Judging juveniles: prosecuting adolescents in adult and juvenile courts. New York University Press, 243-244. Mason, C., Chapman, D., Chang, S., & Simons, J. (2003) Impacting re-arrest rates among youth sentenced in adult court: an epidemiological examination of the juvenile sentencing advocacy act. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 32, 73. Nunez, N. & Tang, C. (2003). Effect of defendant age and juror bias on judgement of culpability: what happens when a juvenile is tried as an adult? American Journal of Criminal Justice, 28(1), 239-251. Young, M. C., & Gainsborough, J. (2000). Prosecuting juveniles in adult court: an assessment of trends and consequences. The Sentencing Project, 1-10.
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