Tried As Adults

One side argues that regardless of the age, crimes are still crimes. Just because a child commits the crime doesn’t mean that the victim didn 't indeed suffer from it. Juveniles should be tried as adults because it will not only make

There are many controversies that surround juveniles being rehabilitated rather than going through the adult justice system, but studies show that juveniles are not fully developed to be tried as an adult. One of the main questions that it always boils down to is “should juveniles be tried as adults?” in my opinion juveniles should not be tried as adults because of their age.

There are times juveniles should not be convicted as adults because sometimes the “crimes” may not harsh enough to be charged as an adult. For example, if a 8 year old saw a gun in their mother's purse and thought it was a toy and grabbed it and began to shoot who would be at fault ? Plus children in adult prisons are 10 times more likely to be taken advantage of in their time. Research shows that children prosecuted in the adult criminal justice system are more likely to reoffend than those held in the juvenile justice

Juveniles should be tried as adults because they only serve a few years in prison for doing harsh things. Manuel Sanchez and John Duncan committed a bloody murder by shooting a man several times in the chest, and John and Manuel were only twelve years old at the time. For example, “ It was a brutal, callous, bloody murder. But what is even more shocking to people in the small Washington town of Wenatchee is that John Duncan and Manuel Sanchez are only twelve years old.” I found this information in the article “ Rethinking Juvenile Justice” ( John, 1). Instead of the boys

“I think it's important for us as a society to remember that the youth within juvenile justice systems are, most of the time, youths who simply haven't had the right mentors and supporters around them because of circumstances beyond their control,” (qtd. in Brainy Quotes) are wise words from Q'orianka Kilcher, a human rights activist. Many Americans feel adolescents should be held accountable for their behavior; however, trying them as if they are adults is not always the optimum course of action. Because the teenage brain matures from back to front, the prefrontal cortex is not established until mid-twenties. Ordinarily adolescents can be rehabilitated in order to avert future offending; yet when tried as an adult, all hope for rehabilitation is lost. A one time mistake will follow an adolescent around for the rest of his/her life, dramatically decreasing the opportunities for success. Trying adolescents as adults is an injustice due to their lack of rationality and potential for rehabilitation.

In the court of law many difficult decisions are made, and one is whether juveniles should be tried as adults or not. Many teens today are being placed in an adult prison for crimes they have committed. The crimes these teens commit are not necessarily their fault, but a poor choice they made. Teens should not be tried as adults for the risk of being sexually abused, not having a well developed brain, and having a higher risk of them committing suicide.

Over the course of America's history, they're have been many cases of juveniles committing serious crimes, like murder, and they were only given light punishments like probation, or far worse, being let off the hook. However, there have also been cases in which kids have done very minor crimes, and have been given prison sentences longer than 20 years. This raises the age-old question; should children be tried as adults, and if so, to what degree? People have been asking themselves this question since our judicial system came to be. There have been many debates to this question, but the answer is quite simple.

Did you know that 16% of the crimes committed, were between the ages of 13-15 years old? Kids within that age limit, and any age limit should be tried as adults because they should be aware of what is good and what is not. An estimated 59% percent of the crimes made were under the of 18. That is over half of the crimes committed. That is why they should be tried as adults. In certain states most juveniles have to be 16 years of age to be eligible to be able to sign a adult court waiver. Also in a number of states minors from the ages 13 and above can also be subjected a waiver. However, in order for a minor to be charged as an adult they have to have a partially lengthy record amongst them. Another reason they would end up being tried, would be if the went to rehab and it didn’t work and they did something bad again. Next, laws will be addressed.

The continuous question officials have been contemplating is whether or not juveniles should be tried as adults. Although it seems as easy to say if they do the crime they should do the time, it’s immorally incorrect. However, what types of crimes must juveniles commit to be charged as an adult? Juveniles from the age of 13 to 18 have the possibility to be transferred to an adult system if they commit serious crimes, such as murder, aggravated sexual assault, and robbery with a firearm. However many negative results prosper from juveniles being put into the adult system.

Juveniles committing crimes is not a new issued being introduced to society; actually, it has been an issue for centuries. However, the big question is, should juveniles be tried in adult courts? Before answering, take into consideration every possible scenario that could have led them to commit the crime. For instance, were they the leader in the act? Did they participate in the crime? Was the juvenile even aware of what was taking place? Were they peer pressured? Did they have any other choice at the time? There are so many other questions we could consider when making a decision here.

Knowledge deters youth from committing offenses because youth will not want to be tried in the adult justice system. However, this should not happen because teenagers are not equipped to handle situations in the same methods at adults. According to the Juvenile Justice Center “The evidence now is strong that the brain does not cease to mature until the early 20’s in those relevant parts that govern impulsivity, judgment, planning, for the future, foresight, of consequences, and other characteristics, that make people morally culpable.” Juveniles cannot process or plan a crime in the same manner as an adult. The teenage brain is undergoing tremendous amount of growth in its ability to reason, make decisions and delay gratification. The teenage brain cannot be held responsible for actions like an adult

One juvenile justice author, Gail Garinger agrees that minors don't deserve on life sentences,cannot be treated in an adult- Justice system, and their minds aren't fully developed compared to an adult’s. Garinger importantly states that “Young people are biologically different from adults. Brain imaging studies reveal that the regions of the adolescent brain responsible for controlling thoughts, actions and emotions are not fully developed.” I agree on Garinger’s statement on comparing a minor’s brain to an adult’s. Due to a minor’s immaturity and lack of irresponsibility are one of the major factors that lead minors to commit terrible mistakes. Thier brain is still in process of development until they reach adulthood which also proven by science. Garinger also states they are, “less mature, more vulnerable to peer pressure, cannot escape from dangerous environments and their characters are still in formation.” The environment plays a huge role on how the minor’s behavior and thoughts can lead to the choices they

Today’s court system comes with many crucial outcomes. The most questionable outcome is whether teens should be tried as adults. Many people are against the idea of teens being tried as adults in courts and argue that they are immature but, most teens had the mental capacity as an adult to plan a murder. Crimes that teens have committed have been in the felony level which is the type of crimes adults have made. Juvenile delinquents should be treated as adults in courts because they have committed unforgivable felonies; therefore, they should not have any leniency while in court because of their age.

Regardless of age, a killer is a killer. A killer can be the daily customer you have at your job or the child you’re babysitting. “The Supreme Court justices would be wise as well as compassionate to strike a balance: Make juvenile offenders responsible for their actions but don't completely rob them of hope. And this should apply not only to the inmates who were 14 at the time of their crimes but to the remaining 2,497 who were 15 to 18 years old,” (Ellison 19). Kids make mistakes all the time, that doesn’t mean we should take their life away from them. With overlooking the listed factors in court when sentencing a juvenile, this will improve the number of children in prisons. Not all of these children partake in the act because of evil, but merely because of

A number of researchers have suggested over years that teenage brains are not yet fully developed. At the National Institute of Mental Health researchers have studied the human brain ever since the stage of birth all the way to adulthood, to prove that the brain is not complete. When it comes to this topic, Americans assume that if a teenage commits a crime than they should not be held accountable because of their age. Yet they must consider that teens are capable of understanding the situation they are in, how they are looked upon as young adults,, and how they should learn from their mistakes.