Juveniles Should Be Tried As Adults Essay

When it comes to addressing whether juveniles should be tried as adults based on the seriousness of the crimes they committed, society has been in a state of utter chaos for generations. Juveniles should not be tried in adult court since doing so won't offer a long-term solution for their crimes and will only keep them caught up in a system they can't escape. Not that the severity of their crimes should be ignored, but many environmental circumstances, many of which are beyond the control of the average adolescent contribute to the progression of their crimes. Juveniles' minds can be seriously impacted by traumatic experiences, a less-than-ideal upbringing, and harsh punishments, which implies that we should offer them a source of rehabilitation

In the article, Juvenile InJustice: Charging Youth as Adults Is Ineffective, Biased, and Harmful – Executive Summary, it states "When we lock up young people, they are more likely to be exposed to extreme violence, fall prey to abuse, and suffer from illness. High rates of violence, unchecked gang activity, and overcrowding persist in Division of Juvenile Justice facilities where many youth sentenced as adults start their incarceration" (Human Impact Partners, 2017, p.10). Incarceration does more harm than good because it merely raises the likelihood that they will commit repeat offenses. Such exposure to abuse, violence and unchecked gang activity can be highly dangerous since, sooner or later, the adolescents will unavoidably exhibit the same behaviors as their inmates because, in their eyes, that is the only way to avoid becoming a victim in a setting like that. Even if they are not directly exposed to physical abuse, this is nevertheless likely to have an impact on their development, especially their mental health, due to the number of traumatic events they have experienced without having access to resources for therapy until it is too

In the article, Juvenile InJustice: Charging Youth as Adults Is Ineffective, Biased, and Harmful – Executive Summary, it states "In low-income communities and communities of color, there are clear indicators of disinvestment rooted in historical trends and contemporary policies—including poor quality housing, under-resourced schools, scarce and low-paying jobs, and omnipresent police. These policies and their consequences marginalize communities, and the lack of opportunity influences young peoples’ physical health and outlook on life. Growing up in these neighborhoods puts children at risk for behavior considered “deviant” and antisocial" (Human Impact Partners, 2017, p.9). Although low-income communities do not excuse anyone's criminal behavior, they do increase the likelihood that young people would act out and get involved in criminal activity. These adolescents may experience a great deal of stress due to a variety of factors, including constant indifference from others, imperfect upbringing, needing to live up to expectations, and a lack of opportunities in their community. They can only hold so much stress inside before they explode, and if