There is a process in the United States that involves juvenile cases being transferred to adult criminal court. This occurrence takes place through what is called a “waiver.” Youth offenders being tried as adults is a heavily debated issue. This usually happens when a person under the age of eighteen commits a very serious crime or has repeatedly broken the law. Some young people commit very serious crimes and courts are unsure of how best to handle such cases. On the one hand, juveniles are young, impressionable, and often have the potential for change. However, some believe that juveniles who commit these serious crimes are simply criminals who are just of a younger age. Some of the aspects that make these cases so difficult are the punishments inflicted, the seriousness of the crimes, and the potential for future danger to …show more content…
Many of these juvenile offenders are from poverty stricken communities, have no family support system, or lack self-confidence to a self-destructive level. These things effect a young person’s actions and can lead to violence and consequently confrontation with the law. The argument against trying youth offenders as adults is based on the idea that these damaging environmental factors can be reversed with the proper rehabilitation. The opposite side argues that these juveniles are and will always be criminals. They also believe that the repeated offenses and serious crimes must be addressed with the proper punishment regardless of age. There are several occurrences involving homicide that make it especially hard to prevent juveniles from being tried as adults. Someone must pay the price for taking a life and it is often very difficult to let the offender off even if it is a young individual. Each state deals with juvenile cases differently, but the issue remains the same. Should youth offenders be tried as