Brooke Hermiller Juvenile Justice Essay

Everyone has heard of the juvenile justice system; however, how many people have dealt with it firsthand? Not many people actually know what goes on behind the closed doors of these “rehabilitation centers” and the injustice that occurs within. Instead of rehabilitating children, the juvenile justice system treats them as adults, leaving them helpless and on a straight path to failure. The multi genre piece (MGP) called “Juvenile Justice System,” written by Brooke Hermiller, brings to light the unfairness caused by the juvenile justice system. Hermiller’s argument regarding the corruptness of the juvenile justice system is strengthened by her use of multiple genres, including letters, narrative stories, articles, and even a recipe. A multigenre

One of the examples is about a girl named Trina Garnett who had to go through many hardships in her life and was sentenced to life in prison for an accident. Trina was 14 when she accidentally set a fire that killed 2 of her friends. She was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison. Unfortunately, while in prison, she had even more of her rights taken away—she was raped, repeatedly abused, and unable to speak on her own behalf (Hermiller 10-11). By including Trina’s story, Hermiller garners more credibility for her statement regarding how evil the juvenile justice system can be. Hermiller adds another nonfiction story about a 14 year old boy named Anotonio who also got stepped on by the juvenile justice system. “Despite his difficult background and the absence of any significant criminal history, the judge sent him to an overcrowded, dangerous adult prison at the age of 14. Antonio became the youngest person in the United States to die in prison for a crime in which no one was physically injured,” Hermiller states. This highlights yet another personal experience of a young child who was treated unfairly and as an adult. Both these stories that Hermiller added to her multigenre piece create firsthand examples to support her argument on the injustice of this

She adds an informative graph with statistics about the juvenile justice system. This graph appeals to logos and shows how unsuccessful children involved with the juvenile detention centers become. “40% of kids who went into juvenile detention end up in prison by the age of 25.” the MGP states. This supports Hermiller’s argument by showing that juvenile detention centers set children up for more failure rather than helping them. The detention centers clearly are not doing their jobs since the children often end up going back to jail within a few years. Hermiller also uses a figurative recipe, bringing a unique genre to support her argument. The recipe in Hermiller’s MGP states, “8 cups ongoing economic problems; 6 cups lack of good relationships; 7 cups years of mental and physical abuse; 4 cups violence in the home.” The list goes on showing an entire recipe which in the end, makes a “Juvenile Delinquent Trifle.” The recipe illustrates the unfortunate life circumstances that often lead to children being involved with the juvenile justice system, further demonstrating how unfair their lives are. The recipe also shows just how helpless these children feel and how their upbringing affects their future prospects. This creates feelings of sympathy and understanding by conveying that these children have gone through conflicts that no child should have to endure. By applying logos and ethos to her MGP,