Juveniles Tried as Adults Essay Example

Deviance Final : Question #1 A juvenile being tried as an adult is a very sensitive and controversial issue over the past years. There has been a significant increase in the number of juvenile offenders being tried in adult courts for serious crimes. Juveniles should be tried as adults depending on the seriousness of the crime that they commit. There are many factors that contribute to juvenile courts and to what extent a juvenile should be tried as an adult. The juvenile justice system was intended to rehabilitate offenders that committed non-serious crimes. Juveniles of today seem to take advantage of this system by committing violent crimes. Juveniles think they might get off easier because they believe they will be tried as juveniles no matter the seriousness of the crime. (Estudillo, 2001). In the past years there have been laws to protect juvenile delinquents from being prosecuted as adults. There was a rising violent crime rate for juvenile offenders in the late 1980’s and 1990. To reduce the violent crime courts transferred their violent juvenile offenders to more strict adult courts. During the mid-1990’s many states adopted laws so that it would make it easier to try juveniles in adult courts (Juvenile Justice, 2006). Violent juvenile offenders should be tried as adults. There are many crimes that a juvenile can commit that are heinous and violent enough for them to be tried in adult courts. Many juveniles are capable of knowing the difference between right and wrong, and what they should do and not do. The maturity and mental capacity of the delinquent offender should be taken into consideration when deciding to try juveniles as adult. “The simple fact is that fully competent and mature juveniles are fully capable of committing the same crime as a competent adult” (Chiou, 2002). Minors should take responsibility for their actions. Tying juveniles as adults will give other minors an example, giving them a wake-up call. Other terms