At 2:30 in the morning I hear the default ringtone of my iPhone ring for what felt like minutes. I looked at my phone to see who was calling me this late and when the brightness of my phone shined in my face I looked at the caller I.D. and saw my father’s name on my phone I answered quickly. “Hey dad! Is Caleb okay?” I hear chatter and yelling. “Dad! Hello!” I hang up, collect my thoughts, bear myself for what I’m afraid to hear and call back. “Hello? Dad?” I yelled about three times. While my heart beats at a million miles per second I finally hear my father speak, “Yes, Joshae’ I’m sorry I must’ve butt dialed you. Are you okay?” After hearing this the pace of my heart slowed, but I still felt sick to my stomach. On the verge of tears I tell my dad that I’m fine and fail in my attempt to go back to sleep. …show more content…
I hesitate to pick up the phone anytime my father calls because I’m afraid he’ll tell me Caleb was hurt, arrested or my worst fear, murdered. Juvenile delinquent teens should not have the chance to commit crime after crime. Juvenile laws are something that is controversial all over America. All states have different laws when it comes to juveniles. The subject of juvenile justice is a very controversial topic and a soft spot for some people. The common age of a minor being charged as an adult for a crime is seventeen years old. The age for teenagers to be charged as an adult for heinous and violent crime should be lowered to fifteen. Others think that this is not a good idea because of the fact that some states only have the age
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
In the no more video it showed things that shouldn’t have had been shown because they put kids in jail, they spray them with water hoes on people, and they beat them to death, they wouldn’t even care if they killed someone and that’s not cool, that something that is really careless and hurtful that they tortured kids and adults like that, they should be a shamed for themselves. If my life was like that I would have stand up for my self, I wouldn’t just let them beat me to death. I know that we aren’t aloud to do that, but I don’t want to be killed.
Juvenile justice has been and still is a controversial topic throughout America. “...Teens are being tried as adults and sentenced to prison for murder at alarming rates in the United States” (Jenkins 6). During cases involving teenagers committing murder, Supreme Court Justices don’t completely agree with each other. For example, on June 25, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that juveniles who committed murder couldn’t be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, with a majority of five to four. Juvenile offenders should not be tried as adults and/or sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
When a young person breaks the law in Canada, they are dealt with differently than adults, for they lack the level of maturity and development. The federal law that governs Canada’s youth justice system is Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). The act was created in 2003 with a purpose to hold youth (12-17) accountable through sanctions that contribute to the protection of the public. The basic principles of this act are crime prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration, protection of the public and youth, meaningful consequences, and accountability. Hence, it is fair and equitable, as well as effective for youth to a great extent, with preventing crime while ensuring the accountability of a young offender. The data from Statistics Canada show that youth crime has decreased 42% since 2000. This essay focuses on how the justice system effectively ensures the protection of society, the innocent, and ensures that those who break the law, face appropriate consequences.
Should juveniles get adult jail sentences? In today's society juvenile offenders are facing the law to full force, in two court systems. Not only are they tried in the juvenile justice system, but also charged as adults. The issue of charging juveniles as adults has stirred various views owing to the violent crimes committed by the young offenders. Politicians comment that the best solution is to lock up juvenile offenders for a long time and ignore rehabilitation. However, prior researches on the topic of juvenile delinquencies suggest that trying young offenders in the adult legal system and putting them in adult prisons will only lead to increased crime, higher costs, and increased violence(John & Jiangmin 568).
Either to try individuals as adults or juveniles has evoked profound strife. I strongly believe that all individuals over the age 15 should be tried as an adult no matter the crime. According to the Justice Department, serious illegal offenses such as rape, assault, robbery with violence, and drug negotiation have increased among juveniles to 30% with 10% of all homicides by juveniles. To begin with, juveniles have the ability to plan a kill. As well as acknowledging that a crime by a juvenile is no different than a crime by an adult.
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
However, the juvenile justice system must maintain vigilance in order to combat the growing trend of violent young offenders. It is the job of the criminal justice system to bestow justice upon those who have committed a crime. It is agreed that juveniles who commit violent crimes are often too young to understand completely the ramifications of their actions. Yet, it would not be fair to the victim or the victim’s family to allow the juvenile offender the opportunity to receive a lesser sentence than the crime usually carries. Young people who commit violent crimes should be sentenced as adults because a crime is a crime, they should be more responsible for their own actions, and it would prevent them from committing future
Teens don’t deserve to be treated the way they are treated; they deserve to get a second chance. Teens aren’t able to have these second chances if they are sentenced to life without parole or sentenced to adult prisons. Some people believe that every teen that commits a crime should deserve to go to adult prison. Just because a kid commits a crime doesn’t mean they’ll grow up to be a criminal or continue committing crimes, just because he commit murder makes him a, “serial killer in the making” (Jenkins 91). Age should matter when someone commits a crime. Yes, it may be truth that some teens are old enough to make the right decision but some kids are brought up in bad
In today’s society, it would be assumptive that the juvenile justice system would take the necessary precautions to preserve and or rehabilitate the juveniles that are present in its system. With this in mind adolescents still, face sentencing of life without the possibility of parole and trials transferred to adult court. When you think of adolescence, the term development or puberty may come to mind. Teens or pre- teens are still in developmental stages of their lives and tend not to think or act on the level that an adult would. Juvenile justice focuses on the mere ideal that juveniles are not adults and should not be treated or tried as such. Heinous crimes, such as murder, could possibly draw a wedge between this thought. Taking the life
Claudia, my prayers goes out to your son for having to face something such as an accident rather than intentional murder when there are juveniles in this world committing murders intentionally. I have worked in an adult correctional facility before, and I have witnessed the transfer of juveniles to the criminal justice system. You mention if it were not for your son's street smarts he problem would not have known how to survive in the adult facility. This is so true, I have also witnessed young children in the adult facility afraid to go to sleep out of fear that an adult may harm them while sleeping. The Court has recognized that juveniles lack maturity in judgment, have an underdeveloped sense of responsibility, are vulnerable to adverse
refuge was established to meet the same kinds of needs the JJS of today tries to
We live in a society today, juvenile justice is a concern for law enforcement. One thing is for sure and that whether or not to try teens should be tried as an adult and be given adult sentence. In all of the states there are juvenile justice systems where teens are tried and put into juvenile jail . The main focus of these jails are to help them thru rehab t and make them better it just not a punishment . The thing is there so many teens out there being tried as an adult.. Although some people want the death sentence for teens there still doesn't exists only teens get life sentence instead but these juveniles do not deserve to be treated this way they should be treated better; they deserve a chance for a better life, a chance to change, and they are not going to have this chance in prison. Juveniles should not be tried as adults.
Did you know, that in the United States alone, Over 200,000 children are charged and imprisoned every year as adults? Early in the 20th century, most states established juvenile courts to rehabilitate and not just punish youthful offenders. The system was designed for children to have a second chance at their lives. “A separate juvenile-justice system, which sought to rehabilitate and not just punish children, was part of a movement by progressives to create a legally defined adolescence through the passage of child-labor and compulsory education laws and the creation of parks and open spaces.”(How to reduce crime Pg 1) Although the view on juveniles committing brutal crimes is nearly inconceivable, it is not a solution to give juveniles adult consequences because the effects of the adult system on juveniles are not effective.
The article talks about President Obama giving a speech about juveniles. He told the NAACP National Convention in Philadelphia, “Don't just tag them as future criminals. Reach out to them as future citizens(Obama). You can't assume that all youth who are labeled as juveniles don't want to make a change for themselves. We have to look at them as citizens who can go and get a job or pursue a particular thing they have always wanted to do, such as a doctor or lawyer. Teenagers mindset work in a different way, so they wouldn't have to be treated as adults. Not everyone could follow through with the plan because once a teenager commit a crime; they are looked at as the bad guy. This is how someone could be labeled, but you can't always assumed that