Charging Juveniles As Adults

Approximately two million adolescents a year are arrested and out of that two million, 60,000 of them are incarcerated according to the American Journal of Public Health. The 60,000 incarcerated adolescents each year are being tried as adults in court because of the serious crimes they have committed. The crimes they have committed are anything from armed robbery to murder. Some juveniles might be first time offenders and others might be repeat offenders. Crimes have always been a major issue in the United States and can cause controversy in the criminal justice system. Charging a minor as an adult in criminal court varies from state to state based on each state’s jurisdiction. Some states consider anyone up to the age of 18 still a juvenile and would not be charged as an adult in criminal court, but other states may charge a juvenile as an adult at the age of 16 or 17. Jordan (2014) states, “Although states already had methods for transferring youth to the adult system, as a result of the growing fear of juvenile violence, most states implemented new laws to increase the number of youth entering the adult criminal system’ (Bernard & Kurlychek, 2010; Torbet et al., 1996)” (p. 315). While it sounds beneficial to incarcerate more adolescents in the adult criminal justice system to avoid juveniles from committing crimes in the future, that is not always the case. Incarcerating these juveniles can be life changing in a negative

Controversy arose in 1998, about the definition of who was considered as a minor or an adult or what the average appropriate behavior was (Brown, 1998). People back then weren’t sure the age of accountability was which raised uncertainty. The crime data at the time showed that juvenile crime increased 70% from 1986 (Brown, 1998). U.S citizens were bombarded by this increase in crime and would have led to hysteria. Crime had risen to its peak in U.S. history, which concerned U.S. citizens

Between the years 1988 and 1992 the amount of crimes that have been committed and went from 18 to 68 percent in the United States. Also, between the years 1983 to 1993 the amount of youths under eighteen years old arrested for murder and weapons violations has doubled in the United States. In the article, it states, “ Most experts blame the increase on two things: guns and drugs. Guns are now readily available, and kids involved in selling drugs are much more likely to use guns than they were ten years ago, say police” ( John, 1). This quote is important because the easier it is to get guns and drugs, the easier it will be for people for under the age of eighteen to commit a serious crime. Also, it states in the article that kids are committing crimes and not caring as much because they know that they are under the age of eighteen and they know that they will not get as in much trouble as they would if they were tried as adults. But, if they were tried as adults the crime rate of kids under the age of eighteen would decrease in a huge way. That is another reason why juveniles should be tried as

Imagine a loved one being ripped from your life through a violent crime only to learn that it was a juvenile who stole your loved one from you. Would you want this juvenile to be prosecuted as an adult or would you want them to serve a child sentence? When it comes to the topic of violent crime, most of us will readily agree that those who commit the crime should be persecuted. Where this argument usually ends, however, is on the question of juveniles committing the crime. Whereas some are convinced that they are unable to make rational decisions.

Juveniles being tried as adults I fully believe that juveniles who commit adult crimes should be treated as an adult when being punished. Many people are against juveniles being tried as adults. Aside from being evaluated and diagnosed with a mental illness, I believe they should be charged like an adult if a juvenile commits heinous crimes, especially murder. If a teenager uses a gun or any other deadly weapon to assault another person, I believe his/her mind is developed enough to know that his/her actions could result in the other person's death.

When a person is charged with a crime, many people don't think that the age of said person is important because in their minds a criminal should be charged according to the law and not according to his or age. I believe that juveniles should not be tried as adults because trying them as adults affects them in ways that it does more harm than good for them and their community. The first effect of juveniles being tried as adults is that it “alters the legal process by which a

“Uniformly in our communities, more and more young people are engaging in more and more dangerous and serious behavior. And I see as a result of that, more prosecutors and the citizens generally seem to be exerting more pressure to charge these youths as adults, as opposed to having them processed through the juvenile justice system,” Juvenile Judge Elizabeth Crnkovich

First, Juveniles should be trialed because at any age people know what they are doing. The quote “since 1965, the number of twelve year olds arrested for violent crimes has doubled, and the number of thirteen and fourteen year olds has tripled” (“The Juvenile system is too lenient on violent offenders” 2) illustrates that juveniles are starting to participate in more violent crimes, and it also shows that if thirteen and fourteen year olds are capable of doing violent crimes they are capable of understanding it is wrong. Another example, “an offender who lived in the eighteenth century and was seven or older would in all likelihood have been treated as an adult by the courts”

Juveniles should be tried as adults beause juveniles and adults should have equal punishments. When a juvenile commits a crime, for example theft they could get a warning are minor time, but when a adult commits the same crime they will get the worst punishment. This should be against the law because if it is the same crime why should the adult get the worst of it. They should both be equal for the same crime. In some

Treating juveniles like they are adults in any shape or form is completely wrong. Previously I stated that I believed juveniles who commit violent crimes should be tried as adults, but after careful thinking and research, I feel very differently about this matter because they are still children mentally. They do not have the mental capacity to make informed decisions like adults. According to Albow (2014), when we allow our justice system to treat children or adolescence as adults so that we can be more punishing of their acts, we show no commitment to justice. What we show is our own contempt for the truth. Most juveniles between the ages of 14-17 are sometimes incapable of

As more minors are committing violent crimes, the question of whether they should be tried as adults has arisen. Children as young as 13 or 14 are committing violent crimes such as murder, rape, and armed robbery. Some of these children are being tried as adults while others are being tried as juveniles and receiving milder punishments. A juvenile offender may receive a few years in a juvenile detention facility and possibly probation following his release at age eighteen. An adult committing the same violent crime will receive a much harsher penalty, often years in jail, possibly a life sentence, with little or no chance of parole. The only difference between the two offenders is the age at which they committed the crime. Juveniles over

The question is should crimes done by Juvenile delinquents be tried as adults. There have been many court cases that have been released to the public. Of Juvenile’s committing horrific acts such as Murder, Rape, Larceny, Arson. This list goes on many juveniles, even though not legal adults still commit illegal crimes as if they were adults. Juveniles should definitely be tried as adults in crimes such as these because they have complete knowledge of right and wrong , are old enough to make their own decisions, are considered the age at where your brain is developed enough to where you know consequently understand the law.

Minors should be charged as adults if they commit horrific crimes. I feel if minors can commit adults crimes they should be about to do adult time. Most children today have no fear or respect for adults, the authority or respect for themselves. When you hear in the news that a minor planned to kill their parents, a teacher, a friend or a stranger, they put thought into committing that crime and when they get caught, you cannot use your age to gain sympathy. I feel that society needs to make an example out of these reckless minors and maybe they will think twice before committing a

Juvenile offending is a concern in society today. Juveniles account for approximately 19% of the population but are responsible for 29% of criminal arrests (Cottle, Lee, & Heilbrun, 2001). Crime overall has been found to be decreasing throughout the last two decades. The issue is that the rate in which adult crime is decreasing is significantly greater than the rate in which juvenile crime is decreasing. Since the rate of juvenile crime is so high, juvenile delinquents are seen as predators and many believe they lack morals. The way in which media of today’s society constructs juvenile delinquency impacts the views of a community towards their youth and youth offenders. Media presents an inaccurate image of youth offenders as violent predators (Rhineberger-Dunn, 2013). This inaccurate image significantly promotes the myths that juvenile crime is rising, juveniles commit crimes that are primarily violent, and that juveniles are highly effected by recidivism and continue committing crimes into adulthood (Bohm, & Walker, 2013). It has already been stated though that crime rates have been decreasing over the last two decades so the first myth is refuted. The myth that juveniles primarily commit violent crimes is also very off. In most cases, juveniles are involved in property crimes and although there are some violent crime cases, they are very rare. When these rare violent crimes do occur, youth can be tried in adult court. The

Juveniles shouldn’t be tried as an adult because they are incapable of making mature decisions. They are not capable of making mature decisions because they are not old enough to think in a mature way. Researchers say that adolescents’ brains are simply not equipped to think things through. It also has to do with the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex affects reasoning and judgement . “As the prefrontal cortex matures, teenagers can reason better, develop more control over impulses and make judgments better” (Spinks)..In the case of teens, this won’t develop until the age of 25 years old. The prefrontal cortex sits just behind the forehead . It particularly interesting to scientist because it acts as the ceo of the brain, controlling ,planning working , memory, organization and modulating mood. “As