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Should A Juvenile Be Tried As An Adult? Essay

Decent Essays
Heinous crimes are committed every day in the United States. Each year thousands of juveniles under the age of 18 are arrested. The debate of “should a juvenile be tried as an adult” is one for the ages. Many would like to argue against the idea as they believe firmly in rehabilitation. But what happens when the crimes are so violent that the family is unable to recognize the victim or when the juvenile shows no remorse and then goes on to harm others. At what age should one be held accountable for their actions? At what age is a person taught right from wrong? A juvenile is someone who in many states is eighteen and under, but here in the state of Texas a juvenile is considered 17 and under. The people who agree that juveniles should be sentenced or tried as adults are the families of the victims, and the majority who acknowledge an adolescent should know right from wrong. Juveniles who commit violent crimes should be tried as adults because they are old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. In the early 18th century, all criminals young and old suffered the same fate. It was partly because “…few other options existed, youth of all ages and genders were often indiscriminately confined with hardened adult criminals and the mentally ill in large overcrowded and decrepit penal institutions.” (cjcj.org) Social reformers required this to change. Thus, The New York House of Refuge was developed by Thomas Eddy and John Griscom in 1825. This was the first
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