Children who are placed in adult prisons and jails are more likely to become …show more content…
physically, sexually, and psychologically abused than other kids who are put into juvie (Juveniles in Adult Prisons and Jails 2000). A juvenile can not defend their self on their own. When a child enters a prison they are completely by themselves and no one is going to help them. So should they do when a group of older inmates try to abuse the young juvenile? Thats the problem, they have no control over anyone else or even their selves. There was a story about a young boy who was put in prison for resisting arrest and as the reports say, the boy was put in solitary confinement because it would keep him safe from the other inmates. This plan backfired when the young boy committed suicide because solitary confinement was making him go crazy (Juveniles in Adult Prisons and Jails 2000). This shows that no child is safe in any prison even if you keep them locked in a room with no outside contact at all.
No juvenile should be charged as an adult because no child is mentally fit for that kind of situation. If a young child has committed a crime so serious that the courts feel a need to place them in an adult prison then there is obviously something wrong with the child’s mental status. A juvenile shouldn't be placed in prison but should be examined by a professional to figure out if there is any problems going on. Placing them in prison will not help the situation. “Juveniles and adults demonstrate significant differences in physical and mental development” (Wood, Cruel and Unusual Punishment: Confining Juveniles with Adults). A child will not get the proper care and help they need in prison. They need to be placed in a psychiatric hospital where doctors and nurses can observe their behaviors and do whats best for the child. Once the child completes their stay at the hospital and is discharged by a doctor then the child can finish their sentence in a jail specifically for juveniles.
The environment in a prison is extremely violent and is unacceptable for anyone under the of 18 to be incarcerated there.
A child is going to act like a child. They are immature and irresponsible, but when this comes to the point where they are being sentenced to life and placed in adult prisons, that is a punishment so horrific for even any crime. Juveniles who are placed in prison have no hope of having a normal life when they finish their sentence. Most would even be lucky to make it out alive. Even some of them will make their best efforts to protect themselves from the other inmates. Only because, “The fear of being victimized or assaulted produces a need for security, which leads many young prisoners to rely on gangs and weapons for survival. Young prisoners overwhelmed by feelings of helplessness and hopelessness cannot focus on changing their thinking and behavior, because they are focused on how to survive” (Prison is too violent for young offenders 2012). Placing the child in survival mode is not going to improve the behavior or the environment. As more children enter these prisons, older inmates tell them that what they are doing is right and that they must have done a good job. A juvenile shouldn't be around other people that will put more violent thoughts into their mind and make them want to commit another crime once they finish up their sentence. So all the court systems are really doing is adding more violent behavior to the
juvenile.
Some might understand why a juvenile should be placed in prison. If they commit a crime such as murder, people may want them to be punished so they “learn their lesson.” There are some laws in states that only allow children of a certain age to be tried as an adult and this is making kids as young as 12 years old go to adult prisons. Sending these juveniles to prison will teach them what the real life is like and how they must take responsibility for their actions. Although, just because these juveniles committed a crime, it doesn't mean they should be sentenced to life and put in a prison where they will be tortured. Some kids don't even know what they are doing is wrong. When asked to take a written test, most juveniles score in the psychopathic range. The purpose of these tests are to determine wether or not they should receive a severe punishment or not, but these juveniles are only kids and if they score in the psychopathic range of their test then they should receive mental help instead of being locked up for life (Is adult prison best for juveniles? 2006).
Overall, juveniles are unfit to be placed in adult prisons because of how unsafe for their own wellbeing. These punishments are much more harsh than they should be because these juveniles are only kids. Young children don't belong in prison and should be placed in their own detention facility where they can be guaranteed safeness. After all, shouldn't a child’s safety be the biggest concern of all?