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Juvenile Justice System Argumentative Essay

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The current state of the juvenile justice system is one which has created an immense debate between a variety of people in the United States. The main question in this debate boils down to the issue of whether children should be able to be tried as an adult with no regard to their age. The juvenile court system is a separate entity from adult court which is used to handle the criminal cases of the youth in America. In the present, some children have their ability to fall under the jurisdiction of the adult courts revoked due to the gravity of their crimes. This should not be the case as the juvenile court should be given the ability to treat juveniles the way they should be. A child may deserve a hefty punishment, but they should not receive …show more content…

Inherently, these children may not know the implications of their actions and could need help that adult prisons do not offer. If juveniles do not get to choose what they are born into, then why do others have a right to prevent them from getting help that could potentially turn their lives around? The psychological help offered in juvenile prisons are good options to help out juveniles who were not given a positive home life. Gail Garinger, a woman versed in the lives of juveniles due to her involvement as a juvenile court judge and as the Massachusetts child advocate, argues in her article “Juveniles Don’t Deserve Life Sentences” that “The same malleability that makes [juveniles] vulnerable to peer pressure also makes them promising candidates for rehabilitation” (Garinger 94). The fact that a past juvenile court judge can acknowledge the ability of juveniles to change should be more than enough proof that children at least deserve a path to rehabilitation. Nevertheless, people continue to endorse the idea that juvenile criminals have a set path of crime in their life. As a whole, people must realize the capability that children have to change when they are shown a pathway different from the life they were raised

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Charlie, a 14-year-old sentenced to life in prison without parole, reflects the harsh realities juveniles face within the legal system (Stevenson 104). Charlie’s case makes us question if it is fair to give such tough punishments to young people, pushing for a rethink in how we handle juvenile cases. Antonio Nunez, a 16-year-old sentenced to life, without parole, underscores, the lack of second chances for juvenile offenders (Stevenson 143). Nunez’s story emphasizes the need for more supportive and rehabilitative approaches for young people who make mistakes, urging them to shift towards giving them opportunities for redemption and growth. Stevenson shows how some people do not get good legal help.

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Annotated bibliography Childress, S. (2016, June 2). More States Consider Raising the Age for Juvenile Crime. Retrieved from PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/more-states-consider-raising-the-age-for-juvenile-crime/ More states are considering to raising the age for juvenile crimes before being tried as adult because young offender's mental capacity. The idea is to cut the cost of incarcerate young offender in adult prison and ensure offenders to receive proper education and specialized care to change their behavior. Putting children in adult prison does not deter crime.

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