Juveniles Justice Juveniles who are criminals being sentenced to life without parole can be shocking to some people. I believe if a juvenile is able to commit a crime, then they are able to do the time. The article “Startling finds on Teenage Brains” talks about how the brain can be different from the time you are teens to the time you are an adult. After, considering both sides on juvenile justice it is clear that juveniles should face life without parole because they did the crime so they can do the time. Also I believe the juvenile’s age should not influence the sentence and the punishment give. At the same time their family and home environment should not be considered. Juveniles who commit a crime should not be given parole because they …show more content…
In the article “On Punishment and Teen Killers” Jenkins states how a little boy got into some trouble and his parents would go and save him. For example,In paragraph 7 Jenkins states this “He came from privilege. Whenever he got in trouble, his parents fixed it. After a series of other crimes”. Also Jenkins states that the little boy was mentally disabled but that he was intelligent. Sometimes the environment is not the problem it is the parents that can be the source. For example, Jenkins states how the parents were there every time there son would get in trouble they were always there to save him. If they would of stop saving them then he would not of been getting into more and more trouble. Some people believe that juveniles shouldn’t get sentenced to life in prison because of brain studies, age, and the way of living. Recent brain studies have suggested that teenagers suffer from brain-tissue loss, this might be the reason why they commit idiotic decisions. In Gail Garingers article “Juveniles Don’t Deserve Life Sentences” she states “Young people are biologically different from adults.” Then she talks about the young adolescents being sentenced to die in prison. Also how there is a myth about the superpredator and how children are hopelessly
These children killed people and the attention is all on them and not the victims. In Jennifer Jenkins' article, “On Punishment and Teen Killer”, she writes about a story of a boy who mentions a boy who never got in trouble for his crimes and was actually a very smart boy who planned his crimes very carefully. “The offender in our case was a serial killer in the making. He came from privilege…he planned the murders for months… He did not act on impulse or because of peer pressure…Bragging to friends led to his arrest”.
People argue that some juveniles are “too young and they don’t understand” but either way, they still broke the law and should be fairly punished. A fact stating “There are approximately 6,000 juveniles in adult jails and prisons in the United States” shows that people who have broken the law with felonies have been confined by law, no matter the age. People need to learn before they act in a similar manner, again. A similar case is a boy named Craig Price from Rhode Island who had committed multiple felonies, such as four murders and was charged as a minor, meaning he was arrested around age 16 and would get out and have his criminal record sealed at age 21. Because of this, a law was changed so that juveniles could be tried as adults with serious crimes.
It also has to be taken into consideration that children who commit these crimes should not be placed with adults as it will severely hurt their rehabilitation. In the article Juvenile Justice: Can Young Criminals Be Reformed? On Commonlit and Written by Carl Stoffers published by The New York Times Upfront December 11, 2017. This article mentions Noah Schultz, a teen who moved out of an adult jail to a juvenile center "Most of my clients had never heard of life imprisonment without parole and had no capacity to appreciate what it would mean," (Stoffers 35-36).
In today’s society, juveniles can and do commit violent crimes. As a result, many are tried as adults and, if convicted, are sent to adult prison and sentenced to juvenile life without parole. Life without parole means that a young person is locked up for life without a second chance. Although some may argue that juveniles, who have committed violent crimes, deserve juvenile life without parole sentence, in reality, juvenile offenders should not be sentenced to life without parole because juveniles are mentally and emotionally immature, the victims of their own environment, and can be rehabilitated. Juveniles are not ready for life sentence without parole because of their mental and emotional immaturity.
The concept of justice is very important in modern society. Since one is born, they are taught how to act; and as they grow up, they’re taught the difference between right and wrong. They learn about ethics and morals in the process of socialization. There are laws, policies, and norms that must be followed in order to live in a functioning society. Nobody is supposed to be exempt from this, so what should be done when one breaks this rules?
In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that it is immoral to give juveniles life sentences, even if they commit a crime as serious as murder, because it is a cruel and unusual punishment. This has been an issue in America as teenagers are often treated as adults in court due to a belief that their crimes warrant a harsh punishment. Many believe that these kids should not be given such major sentences because they are still immature and do not have the self control that adults do. I agree that juveniles do not deserve life sentences because they put less thought and planning into these crimes and they often are less malicious than adults. The article “Startling Finds on Teenage Brains” explains that the teenagers lose brain tissue that is responsible for self control and impulses (Thompson 7).
In the article “ One punishment and a teen killer” by Jennifer Jenkins, she shares a traumatic part of her past when her youngest sister and brother in-law were brutally murdered by a teenager [2]. He was planning a multitude of murders he wanted to commit, evidence showed that killing was a
Most of the teens in this documentary faced abuse such as mental, physical, and sexual abuse. Though what these teens did was horrific, it was understandable. Many of these kids were pushed past their breaking point, causing them to snap. This documentary shows that most of these teens did not kill out of cold blood, but out of fear. In fact, 59% of juveniles who receive life without parole the crime they committed was their first crime ever (Second Chance 4 Youth, 2016).
When people commit crimes, there should be disciplined no matter what. Juveniles need to learn that their behaviors have consequences. Why should kids be given any less of a punishment for committing the same crime? According to one author, “Taking a life is murder regardless of the age of the offender, and the penalties to be imposed must not discriminate. After all, the victim’s life will never be returned, and the family will permanently lose their loved one” (“7 Top Pros and Cons of Juveniles Being Tried As Adults”).
Children who are not allowed to drive a car with another adolescent, nor to drink alcoholic beverages, because their brain is stated to not be developed enough, should not be judged as adults when in court. Jacob Ind murdered his mother and his stepfather at the age of 15. At this age an adolescent is not allowed to have a restricted license in 43 of the United States of America. A 15 year old is not allowed to have a full license in any of the 50 states. As for drinking; a fifteen year old is not allowed to drink in any of the states.
In our society, crimes are being committed not only by adults but by juveniles as well. By law as soon as a person turns 18 they are considered to be an adult. So what if an adult and a juvenile were to commit the same crime yet were sentenced differently simply based on the fact that one is a child and one is an adult? Juveniles are committing violent crimes just as adults and should be given the equal treatment and sentencing as adults receive. Juveniles aren’t completely ignorant as everyone seems to think.
Juveniles should be convicted as adults for violent crimes because it is not fair for juveniles to commit big crimes and get away with it so easily. If they want to act like adults, they should be treated. Some teens commit crimes and don't have a really good excuse on why they do it. In the article “On Punishment and Teen Killers” by Jennifer Jenkins she explains how the teenager that killed her sister, husband and her unborn child excuse of killing them was that he just wanted to “see what it would feel like to shoot someone”, which is no good excuse for what he did to this family. Another example from Jennifer's Jenkins article she states how “undeveloped brain” has nothing to do with teens committing these crimes.
The video that made me think the most, was Prison Kids: Juvenile Justice in America. They interviewed many kids, parents and the government officials who worked alongside these programs. This video was the most interesting to me because you do not hear much about kids being arrested. The video goes into something that was discussed in class several times, as well as a controversial topic in society.
Juvenile Justice Should juveniles get treated as adults that’s one of the biggest controversy in our nation now days, with many juveniles committing crimes that are inconceivable according to their age. Judges have the last word on how to treat this young people. Many people argue that “the teens that are under eighteen are only kids, they won’t count them as young adults, not until they commit crimes. And the bigger the crime, the more eager this people are to call them adults” (Lundstrom 87). This is why people can’t come to a decision as how these young people should be treated like.
What factors do we have to consider when doing so? I believe that juveniles by definition are not adults, and therefore should not be tried as such. Recent research shows that the