Should Juvenile Offenders Be Prosecuted?

There have been many studies conducted that examine ways in which the juvenile justice system responds to female offenders. Historically juvenile female offenders have been treated under status offense jurisdiction (Zahn et al., 2010, p. 10). United States Courts would exercise the principle of “parens patriae” to place the female in detention as a form of punishment for misbehavior (Sherman, 2012, pp. 1589-1590). This principle also remains prevalent as it pertains to how the juvenile justice system currently responds to juvenile female offenders.

Whether Brandon Moore should be sentenced for life due to crimes he committed at age of fifteen, or receive a chance to parole.

Nine African American kids were prevented from entering Little Rock Central High School. They weren’t able to be let into school; they were threatened as they walked towards the school, people would throw things at them like rocks so they could try and hurt them. They would hurt them not just mentally but physically; people would throw things and say mean things to them.

“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

Sara Kruzan was sixteen years old when she shot and killed thirty-six year old George Gilbert Howard (Sara). She was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in adult prison without the possibility of parole. Sara was the victim of sex trafficking and George Gilbert Howard was her long time pimp and sexual abuser. However, this information was not taken into consideration when her fate was decided. Sara, just like hundreds of other juveniles, was unfairly sentenced to adult prison. Her horrific story shows how the Department of Justice has failed juveniles time and time again. The United States Department of Justice has failed to acknowledge extensive scientific research that proves the distinct psychological differences between juvenile and adult minds

Yes, juveniles deserve life sentences in jail if they decide to commit a violent crime. This is because there is no effective deterrent to force them to think twice. Over the course of time, this has resulted in even more juveniles being arrested for these activities. Evidence of this can be seen with figures provided by the Center for Disease Control. ("Youth Violence," 2010)

as young as thirteen are sentenced as juveniles to life in prison without parole. Americans today

Have you ever thought about how severe juvenile crimes are and how they should be tried? Some juveniles commit crimes that are so bad that they could be tried as an adult. But, should they be tried as an adult depending on how bad the crime is?

The main reason for this is to learn more and have a better understanding of how Juvenile Courts work and about there Juvenile Court Sentencing Options. Kent Scheidegger, legal director, of the criminal justice legal foundation, states that “Most teenagers, know enough to be tried in adult court,” "Minors aren’t fully capable of understanding what is going on, I find not credible in the case of intellectually normal teenagers." he said. Research on the youths brain development shows that teens have a different understanding and common sense from adults. There are discussions among the juvenile courts whether

There are many people who receive life in prison without parole sentences for committing crimes like homicide. Some of the people that receive these sentences are juveniles. Many people argue that juveniles should not be sentenced as an adult because their brain is not fully developed while others argue they should. Juveniles should be able to receive the “life in prison without parole” sentence because although their age is different than adults, their crime is not.

Imagine sitting in a courtroom, hoping the the judge will not give a harsh sentence. Unfortunately, that’s the case for many juveniles, some as young as 13! A juvenile is subject to a more severe sentence with the limited sentencing available. It is estimated that 250,000 youth are prosecuted as adults, each year. This number should change, as juveniles are not adults, both mentally and physically. Juveniles need an environment surrounded with guiding adults, education and the resources to help them. A juvenile is not an adult, and should not be tried as one.

Crimes are most associated with adults. Murder is especially most associated with adults. When a teenager commits such a crime such as murder they must be tried, and they should not be treated with leniency and coddling, but with the full force of the law as an adult.

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

As a teen, staying out of trouble is a very complicated task. Whether it’s trouble with your parents or trouble with the law. Especially, if you grew up around convicted felonies or even lived in poverty, which would put you in the mindset of going out and doing crimes for a little extra money in your pockets. In my opinion, teens that are under the age of 18 should not be considered adults, until they start paying their own bills and being able to work so that they can provide for their family. Children are not established the same rights and the military. Teen do not have the

In Miller v. Alabama (2012), the United States Supreme Court determined that mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole is unconstitutional to juvenile offenders. This decision is agreeable upon because adolescents do not receive the opportunity to reform themselves. As the Court suggests, life in prison violates the Eighth Amendment, which accounts for a ban on cruel and unusual punishment. However, juveniles still must be held accountable for their actions and should be sentenced to a fair verdict according to their crime, whether they are an adult or not.