Trying juveniles as adults would not be fair when only 7% of crimes are commited by teens. The first juvenile court was opened in Chicago of 1899. The court was based on two principles: juveniles lack maturity of taking responsibility for their behavior, and their character is not yet fully developed. By being put into a prison specialized for teenagers, their behaviour will have a better chance of changing. Some believe violent teens should be treated as adults, however it is clear that they should be tried as teenagers since their brain aren’t yet developed and they are easier to rehabilitate at a younger age.
The human brain does not fully develop until the mid to late twenty’s. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that controls
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I do agree that the severity of any crime should be recognized. A teenage boy who murdered a husband and his pregnant wife demonstrates this From the article, In Sentencing, Remember the Victims, “For those few, a couple years of detention and programs is not enough. These individuals can be tried appropriately as adults” (Bishop- Jenkins). This stand, however, fails to recognize that the environments created by adult prisions can influence young minds. This is shown in Source D, Prision is Too Violent for Young Offenders, “Because a juveniles identity is still developing, he or she can potentially adopt negative behaviors that are the norm in a hostile prison environment” ( Scott). While teenage crimes can be horrific and serious, the punishment also needs to be appropriate. Placing a troubled teenager in a prision cell with adults who are thinking straight is not wise. A fear of being victimized by the older individuals can develope, causing the teenager to rely on gangs or weapons for survival. While they are not yet molded, it is easier to change their behavior in an environment that specifically focus on rehabilitation. Therefore, it is clear that an adult prision would not be the best option for a