preview

Juveniles Should Be Held In Adult Prisons

Decent Essays

Around 250,000 youth are tried, sentenced or incarcerated as adults in the United States every year. On any given day around 10,000 juveniles are housed in adult jails and prisons. Of the juveniles held in adult jails, most of them are awaiting trial, as 39 states are required that youth charged as adults be held in an adult jail before they are tried. Though as many as a half of them will not be convicted or will be sent back to juvenile justice systems, most will have spent at least one month in adult jail, and one in five of them will have spent over six months there. The juveniles held in adult prisons have been convicted as adults; the laws and standards of this practice vary widely by state. In correctional facilities, youth juveniles …show more content…

Many of these juveniles lack the maturity to handle situations such as adult prisons. Most of the children who are tried as adults lose hope for their future and no hope for them to ever become anything but a criminal. Judges in juvenile courts have the power to impose curfews, house arrest and counseling to offenders rather than send them straight to jail. Juveniles are impressionable and likely to end up becoming involved in a gang or other crime activities when they are locked up with …show more content…

In adult prisons, children who are underage are more likely to be sexually harassed and be raped and beat by not only the other cell mates but the staff members too. Children who are underage are more likely to follow the crowd and to be tempted to do the stuff that other people are doing. If children who are underage are placed in adult jails they lack education and also have a hard time learning the right way out and the right way to do things in life. Children who are under a certain age do not fully understand their consequences for their actions. Children who are under a certain age also are more vulnerable to peer pressure. Some children don't have anything to do at home so they think it's okay if they go out and commit crimes because they don't think that the consequences will affect them. If children who are tried as juveniles instead of adults, they will be a lot safer and have a lot more life-related opportunities. The juvenile jails allow the children to get their GED and they always help them get a job and teach them how to work in the environment. Children who commit violent crimes sometimes think that their parents should be responsible for their actions. Children who have never been taught about the law or the right way to act they think

Get Access