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Kenneth Young Case Summary

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In June 2000, fourteen-year-old Kenneth Young’s life was about to take a dramatic turn. After being pressured by his mother’s drug dealer, he was forced to participate in a series of armed robberies. As a result of this, only at fifteen years old, Kenneth Young was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences. On May 31, 2014, two twelve- year -old girls were charged with the attempted murder after stabbing another twelve-year-old nineteen times. If convicted the two girls can face up to sixty-five years in prison. There are cases like Kenneth’s where evidence has backed up his reasoning for the crime he never attended to commit. Whereas the case involving the two girls was pre-meditated and intentionally supposed to end in murder. With examples …show more content…

About 10,000 are housed in adult prisons due to the severity of the crime they committed. Juveniles can come in all forms. From murders, rapists, serial killers, and etc., all of these people are a threat to the world. Relating back to the two girls, if convicted they would be facing the next 65 years in jail, but if not they can be free by the age of 25.Would they develop a better mindset by then or do we keep them imprisoned? Some juveniles have done some unthinkable crimes such as killing their entire family, armed robberies, rape, forming group alliances to kill individuals as part of games, or stabbing a best friend to death. A thirty-year-old can commit these crimes and easily be sent to life or death, but why such a debate when a fourteen–year-old does it. Especially the violent cases should be looked at carefully. There are multiple instances of children killing their entire family for the joy of it. Why should that child be given only ten years in a juvenile prison when no remorse was shown and they received pleasure from it. This creates danger and panic to the public. By giving juveniles short or no sentences can cause people to not feel comfortable about …show more content…

If you let juveniles stay in a juvenile system or serve light sentences, then many would have not developed that right from wrong lesson. According to psychologists, once a criminal mindset has been created it doesn’t change throughout. Depending on the motive, whether its rage, jealousy, or love, the outcome is different for everyone. But, for those who receive pleasure from doing wrong, this can cause problems. For example, in 1993 two ten year boys were charged with the murder of two year James Bulger. After spending time in the juvie, both boys were released at eighteen. Later on, in 2010, one of the boys were sent back to prison due to child pornography. There is still that risk of committing another crime because he could have gotten that murder instinct again. Up to 57% of juveniles will continue to offend up to 25 after being arrested that first

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The girl's alleged attackers have been charged as adults with first-degree intentional homicide. The girls each face up to 60 years in prison if convicted as adults although if the case moves down to juvenile court the girls could be out by 25. Due to questions regarding the girl’s mental heath condition and their young age defense attorneys argue both girls would receive better mental health treatment in the juvenile system. This is a controversial decision by the court because many studies show that children are not fully developed in their teenage years. Studies also show that juveniles who receive harsher penalties due to the fact that they are when they are tried, as adults are not "scared straight" or go on to have a stable life and become a model citizens.

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The start to such severe punishment for minors began with what is referred to as the “summer of violence” which took place in Denver, Colorado in 1993. During the summer of ’93, seventy four people were killed in Denver, due to an increase in violence caused by minors. In order to try to gain control of the situation and to put fear into the minors in order to keep them from committing such crimes the governor at the time requested a special session in order to try to change the laws about how minors could be processed after committing a crime. As a result of said special session 11 laws were passed. One of which gave prosecutors the right to file charges against minors between the ages of 14 and 17 (Gardner, 2011).

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The article “Juveniles Don’t Deserve Life Sentences” argues that children in prison need to be given a chance to mature and be rehabilitated (Garinger 9). Because these killers likely committed these crimes on impulse, they would often realize after the fact that they were wrong to do such an action. Therefore, when they are released, they will be more careful and think about their actions before committing. If they are given a life sentence, they will never be given this chance to fix their life. Older people who commit murders are less likely to learn from their mistakes since they put more thought into the killing than adolescents

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But I also find that rehabilitation is absolutely key, especially when used for juvenile defendants. Juveniles brains are not fully formed, preventing them from understanding the depravity of their decisions and actions. If early intervention and rehabilitation treatment and programs can be utilized for at risk youth and for keeping youth out of the prison system entirely, I see no negative parts of this sentencing

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506 Words | 3 Pages

We have seen today in society of how crime rates have been rampant and how statistics show that most of the crimes were being made by minors. I believe that when most of them look at the bottom of these young offenders come disproportionately from impoverished single-parent homes that are located in the neighbourhoods desinvertido and have high rates of learning disabilities, mental health, and substance abuse and problems with the help of the system of juvenile justice that can make a great return on a successful transition to adulthood. Their ages ranged from 20 and under, most are under fifteen years of age. Juveniles tried as adults must assume the same consequences as any other criminal and are subject to state prisons with inmates much higher and that have probably committed crimes much more tortuous then you could ever have. These minors between the ages of nine to twenty according to the offence committed or of the number of times that are prosecuted and believe that it is immutable.

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If there were stricter law for minors, they would not even think about committing such a serious crime. Everyone who commits a heinous crime should get equally

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Juveniles in prison face increased violence and sexual abuse, and are at much higher risks of committing suicide than juveniles in juvenile prisons. In addition, the number of released prisoners that turn back to crime is much higher for those that were juveniles in adult prisons. Juveniles will face the consequences of their actions in juvenile prisons, but will also be given a second chance to change their lives through rehabilitation. It is time to stop failing this nation’s juveniles and build a system that benefits not only these children, but society as a whole through the end of a vicious criminal

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There are many questions and arguments to whether or not a juvenile should be sentenced to life in prison for murder, or not. In my opinion, I do not believe that juveniles should be sentenced to life when murder is committed. Many argue that an adolescent 's brain is not fully developed at this time in their life. I do agree to this statement, to a certain extent. Most juveniles are fully capable of knowing the difference between right and wrong, but I do believe something throughout their adolescence, something traumatic had to have happened to trigger the individual to commit such an action.

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452 Words | 2 Pages

While many may think the juvenile offender is incapable of fully understanding their actions or the consequences which arise as a result thereof and as such, should be treated with kid-gloves, I would tend to disagree. A look at the crimes committed by juveniles here in the city of Memphis in recent years reflects the inadequacy of the juvenile court system and its ability adequately deterand / or rehabilitate the offenders which come through its doors. As the instances of violent juvenile mob attacks or altercations seem to have increased, the idea that the offenders are not fully aware of their actions and as such should be given a slap on the wrist, effectively giving them free reign to commit other acts of criminal behavior and set out to intimidate the public once again is preposterous.

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509 Words | 3 Pages

Do you think you’re the same person you were 5 years ago? For many juveniles that commit violent crime, they are often charged as adults, despite being between the tender ages of 12-17, they are not presented the opportunity to change. Their chance at a normal adult life had been forcefully forfeit, because of decisions made before their brains had even developed completely. We should not subject juvenile criminals to adult crimes when their brains and decision-making abilities aren’t

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749 Words | 3 Pages

Although that the possibility should also be there, there are a few that will completely rehabilitate. But most will not and should deserve to stay incarcerated for the rest of their life for taking a life or other monstrous crimes. These juveniles that commit horrible crimes are not brain dead, but the violence-loving culture that is a part of our society is a part of it. It is not a solid argument for juveniles that commit heinous crimes. Knowing what is right and wrong is not hard to grasp.

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If the situation calls for it, juveniles should be able to sentenced life in prison and if decided so shall be left no sympathy because they are kids. Although we all make mistakes.

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1119 Words | 5 Pages

Juveniles Need Help Twenty-five percent of all serious violent crimes involve at least one juvenile offender. Juveniles arrest have been incrementing over the years and there has been a debate on whether or not juveniles should get life sentence or not. There has also been 200,000 juveniles who enter adult criminal justice, these children face their actions on prisons with people who are way older than them and get sentenced for life. Youth should not get sentenced for life because children are still trying to deal with their identity, don’t have the mental ability and juveniles have no responsibility. In Addition the different perspectives presented by the Supreme Court argues that juveniles who commit murder should not be sentenced to life because it violates the 8th amendment.

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925 Words | 4 Pages

The way the justice system in America is run, we tend to give people a little slap on the wrist. We allow them to go on living their life in the world even if they are caught for speeding, killing, or even fraudulent scandals in business. However, even those little punishments are a bit harsh on teens who commit felons and are sentenced to 20+ years to life in jail. Their whole life is essentially thrown in the dirt at that point. To me, juveniles can always outgrow old habits and change their way of life and thinking unlike adults who may have grown up doing illicit activity and have a mindset for it.

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In Ken Stier’s article, “Getting the Juvenile-Justice System to Grow Up”, in Time Magazine, he affirms the fact that every year, some 200,000 youths are tried, sentenced or incarcerated as adults. He also discusses how many advocates and academics argue that juveniles are not being given enough of a chance to turn their lives around after committing minor offenses. In agreement with Stier, I consider that juveniles have greater possibility than adults to make a change in their lives with the right help, counseling and rehabilitation. A 14-year-old from Wilkes-Barre, for instance, spent a year in a Glen Mills detention facility for the offense of stealing loose change from unlocked cars to buy a bag of chips; he was only set free after public-interest lawyers challenged the constitutionality of the punishment. Stier also states; there is new brain research showing that the full development of the frontal lobe, where rational judgments are made, does not occur until the early to

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