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Should Juveniles Be Tried As Adults

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Lara Makableh Barlas ERWC, 3rd Period 8 December 2017 The Controversies in Juvenile Justice Much debate exists on the topic of whether or not juveniles ought to be tried and sentenced to the same degree as an adult. The individuals who carry out capital crimes, including juveniles, should be punished according to the law. Age should not be considered a factor when taking into account cases of violent crimes. Many individuals claim, however, that teenagers do not know any better, or that they were raised with the conception that this conduct is acceptable. In spite of the fact that there is some fact to these claims, the truth of this social issue is significantly more complex. Juveniles should not be tried as adults for that their minds are …show more content…

The reformers believed that children could be corrected and that it would be unjust to treat them as adults and it would result in misconduct. It was based on the sole idea that children and adults were developmentally different and that children were more amenable to rehabilitation. The reformers also believed that juveniles were not responsible for their actions and it was all due to their parent's neglect or abuse( Rovner 1). It is easy to forget that most juveniles who are incarnated will end up on the streets as soon as their time is up. This means much of what they will know would have come from the time they spent in their cells. Thus, making sure that the children are well trained and have access to appropriate education and mental health services when they are locked up is essential in order to successfully reintegrate them into society (Rovner 2). By allowing them to be tried and locked up with adults they will not be able to get access to an appropriate juvenile justice system that will likely influence their behavior …show more content…

Although, no treatment program is 100 percent effective in future offending it has dramatically decreased recidivism. Studies have shown that those who were transferred to adult court were amongst those who contributed to higher recidivism rates. A study has shown that the juvenile system wasn’t effective at restraining repeating offenses and that adult imprisonment may have encouraged further violence(Fagan 39). Researchers found that juveniles who go to adult prison are more likely to be sexually assaulted than youths who are in juvenile detention centers,also more likely to be beaten by staff than youth in juvenile detention centers, additionally juveniles who go to adult prison are 4.6 times more likely to commit suicide in adult prison than the general youth population and likely to commit suicide than adolescents in juvenile detention centers during 1989 (Fagan 40). The continuous debate safeguarding children and protecting society through the juvenile court system has been going on for decades. The tension is so strong, it still continues to this day, where we are still having to deal with our juvenile justice system. There has never been a clear single dominant path to follow in regards to the juvenile system. But through the following research conducted and arguments placed. The benefits of

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Some might agree that, “The juvenile justice system is failing to protect citizens from the surge in violent crimes committed by juveniles. What is needed is a system that protects society from violent juvenile offenders, and efficiently rehabilitates juveniles." (G Garcett) The threat of this harsher punishment will result in lowered juvenile crime rates. Juveniles should be convicted as adults for violent crimes because it is not fair for juveniles to commit big crimes and get away with it so easily.

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Many people complain about how juveniles lack brain development and this should be an excuse. It makes others uncertain about trying them as adults since they lack decision-making and impulse control. Despite the lack of development, it’s ideal to recognize that for certain violent crimes, “there have to be consequences to actions” (Ford). Allowing juveniles to simply avoid adult punishment doesn’t help to promote public safety or give adolescents the responsibility they need in the future. But most people believe that juveniles still have room for rehabilitation and change.

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The juvenile system is a ¨far cry¨ from justice (Estudillo). There have been many cases where minors are getting away with crimes that if they were tried as adults then they would pay the consequences for their crime. No amount of rehabilitation will help the minors, they will continue to do crimes as soon as they get out of the juvenile system. People should be worried about this issue because people of this world cannot let crimes go without the proper punishment. The victim's family will feel that they were treated the way that they should have been.

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In order to eliminate crime, we must recognize the negligence that lies within the juvenile prison system. These major criminals often started out in the juvenile system, so if they receive the help they need as teenagers, we can curb the negative behavior and diminish

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The purpose of the juvenile system is to focus on the reasons for their behavior rather than focusing on the being guilty or innocent, like how the adult court system works. Having community based restorative justice is one of the main targets the system should focus on with juveniles. Community based restorative justice focuses on the harm that was caused and what needs to happen in order to be better. I also believe that getting juveniles involved in community service will only do good for the kids as well. Another statement mentioned in the article “Juvenile InJustice: Charging Youth as Adults Is Ineffective, Biased, and Harmful” they write, “When we lock up young people, they are more likely to be exposed to extreme violence, fall prey to abuse, and suffer from illness.

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Juveniles who commit a major crime (think of murder) might be let out earlier than an adult who also commits because they are in the juvenile system. “Violent crime rates and juvenile crime have been in a steady decline over the past 20 years; however, reforms to restore the juvenile court system to its original vision have not been as swift” (Marsha Levick). This evidence is important because it shows the importance of the Criminal Justice System and how it protects the

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The cost of creating and maintain juvenile detention centers is insane. During the 1990s “the juvenile justice system saw a 43% increase in spending, mainly as a response to the expenditures that accompanied the increased confinement of juvenile offenders” (Gaudio, 2010). It has been proven that juvenile’s brains are not as developed as adults and the threat of detention does not affect them as much as it would in an adult so it would not be as affective at deterring crime. Being incarcerated also may make a juvenile more likely to reoffend once they are released.

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According to SPLC, studies suggest that those in the juvenile system are less likely to be arrested again. On the other hand, adolescents in adult jail are more likely to reoffend and be convicted by 34% more (“Children Tried as Adults Face Danger, Less Chance for Rehabilitation”). This evidence shows that children in the adult criminal justice system have a higher chance at reoffense than those in juvie because juvie is trying to help and encourage you to make the right choices and become a law-following citizen. Because children sent to juvenile detention have less of a chance of reoffending, the more juveniles we send to detention, the fewer amounts of reoffending prisoners will go down. In conclusion, rehabilitation is a right that all juveniles should have because it will lower your chances of reoffending and being arrested again.

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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

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We live in a society today, juvenile justice is a concern for law enforcement. One thing us whether or not to try teen criminals in adult courts and sentence them to adult prisons. In virtually all states there are juvenile justice systems where teens are tried and put into juvenile facilities. The main focus of these facilities is to rehabilitate juveniles, not just punish and imprison them. The problem is that some teens are still being tried in adult courts and sentenced to adult prisons.

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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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Imagine being a child imprisoned for committing a crime for which you did not understand the consequences. Alone and afraid, with only hardened criminals and psychopaths as adult role models, you live in fear. Through a vicious combination of physical, sexual, emotional, and mental abuse, there is no option but to turn back to crime as an adult, and continue the cycle. This is a daily reality for thousands of American juveniles. Yet, we continue to call it the juvenile justice system.

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The juvenile justice system has made numerous of ethical issues when managing juvenile offenders. The issue with the juvenile justice system is the laws and rules that govern it. It has led to years of controversial debate over the ethical dilemmas of the juvenile corrections system, and how they work with youth offenders. The number of minors entering the juvenile justice system is increasing every month. The reasons why the juvenile justice system faces ethical dilemmas is important and needs to be addressed: (1) a vast proportion of juveniles are being tried and prosecuted as adults; (2) the psychological maturation of the juvenile to fully comprehend the justice system; and (3) the factors that contribute to minorities being adjudicated in the juvenile justice system are more likely than White offenders.

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In today’s world there are countless crimes committed every single day. “In 2015, there were 1.42 million total arrests, at a rate of 3,641 arrests per 100,000 residents” (State of California, Department of Justice). Grown adults are not the only people being arrested every year, there are also juveniles, children, being arrested every day. One topic of controversy today is whether or not juveniles who commit these crimes should be tried as adults in criminal court. There are many differences between the justice system for adults and the justice system for juveniles.

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Prior to 1899 in the United States, children who committed a criminal offense were tried and punished as adults. Children were being institutionalized with adult criminals where they were picking up negative influences preparing them for a life of crime. Progressive and social change demanded that children be protected and educated instead and therefore a separate court system for juveniles was subsequently established to address this problem. It has since being argued that juvenile courts have abandoned their role to rehabilitate juvenile delinquents and should be abolished.

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