On November 1st of 2023, four teenagers were accused in the beating death of 17- year- old Jonathan Lewis. Two of those teens are 16 and the other two are 18 and 17. The beating occurred in an alley near Rancho High School. The four teens are each charged with second-degree murder as an adult offense. The debate about charging juveniles as adults for adult crimes is all that is often brought up again each time a teen is involved in a serious offense. Juvenile offenders shouldn't be charged as adults because their brains do not process the same as adults. Teenagers should not be treated/punished like adults because they don't think/act like adults. It prevents a child from having a fresh start, even after they make necessary changes. They also …show more content…
Therefore, their impulsive behavior to take part in the fight was likely fueled more by their stage of brain development and less by Vargas 2 disregard for human life. This leads to the conclusion in a way that takes their age into consideration. Additionally, it is relevant to mention, it prevents a child from having a fresh start even after making necessary changes. In fact, Natalie Regal states, when children receive a conviction in the juvenile system, their records are usually not available once they reach 18 or 21, depending on the state. If teens are tried and convicted as adults, then this action stays on their permanent record, meaning they don't get a second chance so they shouldn't get charged as adults. Furthermore, it should be noted that teens most of the time become more violent when in jail. For example, (Natalie Regal) writes, “When juveniles are with adults in the justice system, then their rates begin to climb as they become more violent to match those older offenders”. Young prisoners get overwhelmed by feelings, and cannot focus on changing their thinking and behavior because they are focused on how to