Juvenile Justice: Should 18 year-olds be tried as adults?
Ten year old boy murders his family. Does he get out when he turns eighteen, because he knows not what he did? Or does he spend the rest of his life in prison? Sometimes teenagers are tried for crimes as adults and face equal penalties that are subject to adults. This is a controversial issue among americans. There are two groups of people. Those who believe that teenagers under the age of eighteen who commit serious crimes should be held responsible as adults for their actions. Courts are said to be too lenient and the young juveniles are evolving into violent youth criminals; And there are those who suggest that teenagers are less likely to understand the consequences of their actions and more likely to become productive citizens if the criminal justice system continues to treat eighteen year olds as juveniles. Juvenile death penalties and life sentences without parole have increased at an estimated rate of three times higher today than fifteen years ago. The youth are still growing to become fully developed, like an adult. There are many cases where tough decisions have to be made and choices must be made by officials. In my opinion all youths at the age of eighteen or younger should be tried as juveniles and all our juvenile courts need to focus more on rehabilitation for the lost of youth to criminal acts. Age should be a factor, not a determinant on how these youths should be tried.
In the United States, juveniles involved with the law are treated differently than adults. However, this has not always been the case. In earlier times, children were thrown into jails with adults. Long prison terms and corporal punishment were common during this crucial time as a child. Some children were even sentenced to death for some crimes that seem relatively minor to today’s standards. Trying eighteen year olds as adults was a tradition until the nineteenth century, when the separation of adult and juvenile offenders began. Society started a refuge house for young
In the United States, juveniles involved with the law are treated differently than adults. However, this has not always been the case. In earlier times, children were thrown into jails with adults. Long prison terms and corporal punishment were common during this crucial time as a child. Some children were even sentenced to death for some crimes that seem relatively minor to today’s standards. Trying eighteen year olds as adults was a tradition until the nineteenth century, when the separation of adult and juvenile offenders began. Society started a refuge house for young