The Criminal Justice System In The Film 'Sleepers'

The understanding of how a criminal develops in society has always been up to debate amongst criminologists. Their objective is to analyze and comprehend criminal behavior, however, the conclusion of whether or not a criminal is born or made has yet to be established. Society tends to pity the victims of a crime and dehumanize the criminals. Their identity becomes completely defined by their immoral actions and the human behind the crime is utterly forgotten. Many criminologists believe that the reasoning behind the motivation to do such crimes is deeply rooted in the criminal’s past and upbringing. Prior to committing a crime, the now ‘criminal’ was once also a naive and innocent child born into society. During these adolescent years, a child

Many people face and are prosecuted with life in prison and are granted no parole. This is a serious punishment that is partnered with equally distressful actions caused by a person or group of people. In Colorado, it is evident that this punishment was dealt out to many minors in a time of panic. According to the video, youth violence was on the rise and such violence was threatening the communities. Personally, I see no reason for a juvenile defendant to receive a drastic punishment like life in prison without parole; however, I do believe that adults (25 years or older) who committed heinous should receive such punishment.

Punishment is an element of a proper policy against juvenile crime. Juvenile criminals must suffer some consequence for their criminal action. To let them go without punishment, would encourage criminality and discourage responsibility, but just throwing juveniles in a detention facility until they are 18 or before is most likely not going to have much influence just by itself. They need a combination of supportive counseling, psychiatric assessment, vocational training, and educational support. Essential care that they are missing from home is important. They also need to be challenged regarding their present path in life, like gangs, drugs etc. Counselors can provide therapeutic interventions in which the juveniles may learn to create more

To begin with, I believe 1st and 2nd offenses of petty theft, breaking and entering, and joy riding while a minor should require a correctional facility or extensive community service, but not a jail sentence. However, this is only if another person is not injured by the convicted during the crime. With that being said, minors that assault or kill another person should not have the same leniency. The videos for this assignment, our class lectures, and the book all agree that the prefrontal cortex develop later than other parts of of the brain (Bernstein, 2014, p.70). On the contrary, certain characteristics of a person have already developed,

According to the article “Teen Violence Statistics” on average 4,828 young people, ages 10-24, were victims of homicide an average of 13 each day. Statistics show 784 juveniles were arrested for murder. So, should those victims be left without a proper punishment? On June 25, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that juveniles who committed murder could not be sentenced to life in prison due to the fact it violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and usual punishment, however what they did was cruel and unusual. I believe that a mandatory sentence of life without parole for juveniles who committed first or second degree murder is a justifiable sentence and should not be abolished. Their acts should be punished the same way an adult would be. However these young criminals who committed first and second degree murder must be given the chance to persuade a judge to permit his or her release into society. If these so what called “children” want to commit crimes any adult would, they must face the consequences. The brain development is an overrated excuse for these criminals.

These young adolescents may never get a second chance to relive their lives and make up for their mistakes; once sentenced to life in prison without parole, their lives are basically over. One solution that courts almost never consider for teenagers is rehabilitation. In my opinion I believe it may be more beneficial rather than throwing them behind bars for the rest of their lives. For example, based on the Beyond Scared Straight episodes, the boys that were retained in prison to experience the lives of prisoners, most of them realized that that's not the lives they want to live. This experiment has a good connection with rehabilitation and shows evidence on how we can prevent violent behavior or help teenagers realize the consequences they might have for committing a crime. “An overwhelmingly majority of young offenders grow out of crime.

After watching the video one of the clear problems for the criminal justice system is helping police officers recognize the red flags that comes with human trafficking. In addition to that problem we also need our criminal justice system to implement laws that are swift, harsh and certain. One of the main factors the film touched on is to prevent human trafficking, protect the victims, and prosecute the offenders. I believe in order to do this effectively we have to police the world and not just the United States. Due to a high volume of trafficking victims being immigrants we need to implement international laws that other countries are willing to obey. However, this would require other countries to give helping hand in order to be done successfully.

On June 27, 2008, Kristi Birkeland gave birth to identical triplet boys. Their father, Jack, who was mixed up with the wrong people was around for only five years of Tee, Fletcher, and Cruz’s lives until one day he quit coming around. From then on Kristi raised the three boys all by herself and figured her deadbeat husband Jack had once again gotten himself in trouble. Like their father, even at a young age Cruz and Tee were always in trouble, but Fletcher was different, he was quieter. Twelve years had passed and the boys were seniors in high school. Fletcher was the star on the high school football team and had scouts from all over watching him, his brothers, on the other hand, were too busy getting in trouble. The summer after he graduated, Fletcher worked all summer until that fall,

How would you feel if one act of immaturity defined the rest of your life? Not very good one would imagine. However it does happen and in this case it has happened to four young boys from Hell’s Kitchen New York. A simple idea of a funny prank on the local hot dog vender turned into a nightmare for the boys. Their prank got them charged with Criminal Negligence causing Bodily Harm, Theft and Mischief over $5,000. The boys were sentenced to a young boy’s home where they were sexually and psychically abused by the guards. Upon their release the boys were no longer the same. This is an example of how the retributive justice system failed. It failed because it did not deter future crimes from them. In Canada we would take a much more carful

The majority of serious youth offenders have reoffended within a four-year span of their past sentence. These youths have already gone through our court system and in perspective, has unfortunately, proved unsuccessful. In truth often times the victim/s of a crime feel that the YCJA did not bring them justice with the conviction placed upon the offender. A case representing this, is that of a 17-year-old male student attending Woodville high school. This “youth” committed his second sexual assault within four years and was handed a sentence of only 18 months of strict probation. Yet, the victim, felt this conviction failed to bring justice. The majority of these crimes also tend to have lasting impact within the community and lenient judgements have showed that delinquents return to society much earlier than truly needed. However, in one particular case I would like to point out the punishment handed by Judge Nancy Flatters. She sentenced a youth to a 6 month written report for tagging a wall. The Judges decision showed the youth that a crime is a crime, no matter the severity and regardless, the youth must suffer. This however, is a rare judgement, especially under the YCJA. Youth criminals need to be punished based on the severity of the crime. The offenders need to understand that crime is a damaging action and the youth offenders

The reason for choosing this topic was because I have always been fascinated as to why children do these crimes, were there warning signs before? I don’t understand why children choose to murder; I also would like to learn what was studied and why young children do such crimes. I would like to also learn the background of these children, what they were exposed to, what characters they all have in common.

Teens seem to be committing crimes that are more outrageous and heinous than ever before. ( criminalized children). As a society there have been many discussions about what to do with young kids committing crimes. Some argue that they should be sentenced to life. Others say that they should not be sentenced to life. However, juveniles should not spend their lives in a place paying for their mistakes, they didn't know much or better than what they did.

My Opinion About the Issue: The courts should modify the process of sentencing a juvenile offender to life without parole by severity. They should bend the conviction to subpoena a trial evidence. Therefore, the courts should not make presumptions that juveniles are destined to be repeat offenders if not sentenced for a very long time. Presumptions will be

Those heinous crimes such as murder or rape are now often committed by those who are not even in high school yet. The age group of these criminals is surprisingly young. For example, according to “Right from Wrong” in the Seattle Times news, “in Seattle, a 13 year-old boy has been found guilty of murdering a 14-year-old girl; which is the youngest person committing first-degree murder in King County Superior Court.” Another story states about “a 10-year-old is accused of robbing and threatening to kill an elderly woman.” (Carey, 1994) If the juvenile court offered those really young criminals with only a rehabilitation, those young criminal from the story above would start having the idea of that the consequences of killing is merely a rehabilitation just like stealing, or shoplifting.

These Juveniles are smart. They have got to a point where they know if something happens, they 're tried as a juvenile and receive the delinquent sentence. Therefore, they are certain there sentences will be reduced. Older gang members sometimes use there younger recruits to commit crimes, knowing they will receive a shorter sentence than if they do it themselves. If you knew you could get away with something, would you do it ? This is the state of mind juveniles are influenced to believe is true. It makes juveniles careless to the fact that they have done something wrong. I believe a longer sentence would discipline teens and do them just. Just ask one of the victim 's families, do