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Should Juveniles be tried as Adults?

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Should Juveniles be tried as Adults?
Running Head: SHOULD JUVENILES BE TRIED AS ADULTS?

Should Juveniles be tried as Adults?

Should Juveniles be Tried as Adults? The law states that any person under the age of 18 is classified to be a juvenile and when they commit a crime they are tried in the juvenile court system. Although this is true with most cases there are times when the state will allow youths under the age of 18 to be tried as adults. This differs from state to state as each state has their own rulings. If a juvenile is tried as an adult they will stay classified that way and will be tried for any other offenses even if they are still juveniles as an adult. According to Stalans, & Henry (1994, p. 675-6) “they state that policymakers believe that juvenile justice system should take care of all problems that have to do with juveniles and shape them into productive law abiding citizens. In contrast the adult courts are aimed at punishing offenders.”
States have the option at what age a person is classified to be an adult and many had 16 years of age as the time that the person will be tried as an adult. Many states that do have the 16 year old as an adult are changing this from 16 to 18. According to Mosi Secret, (2011) in an article written in the New York Times (2011, p. 1) “as many states change the rule from 16 to 18 years of age New York may be the only state left where adulthood in criminal matters starts at the 16th birthday.” The reason for this change is that a consensus is emerging that the young delinquents have been mishandled by the adult court system. These changes were from studies showing that older adolescents differ from adults in making sound decisions and benefit more on treatment then incarceration (Mosi Secret, 2011, p. 1).
The issue about the age has been under debate in New York since the other states have changed their ages to 18 years to be tried as an adult. According to Mosi Secret (2011, p. 1) “New York led


References: Dozortseva, E. G. (2009) Forensic psychiatric and psychological assessment of minor Offender, Clinical and forensic psychology, Flesch, L. M. (2004) JUVENILE CRIME AND WHY WAIVER IS NOT THE ANSWER. Reaves, Jessica (2001) Should the Law Treat Kids and Adults Differently? Times USA from http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,110232,00.html Secret, Mosi (2011) States Prosecute Fewer Teenagers in Adult Courts, New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/nyregion/06juvenile.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Stalans, L. J., & Henry, G. T. (1994). Societal views of justice for adolescents accused of murder: Inconsistency between community sentiment and automatic legislative
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