Research Juves Essay

Trying juveniles as adults?

Since the beginning of civilization there have been immoral actions, delinquent actions, offenses against the law, and with all of this, reparations for those behaviors. From way back then until the present date, the 21st Century, there are still issues dealing with these problems. And what’s not so good is that now there are children enacting these crimes. Much argument endures on the question of whether or not a juvenile who commits a severe crime should be prosecuted to the same magnitude as an adult. Throughout written time, juvenile delinquency has been a big controversial issue to overcome. There’s mixed emotions on the topic of trying juveniles as adults, some believe that it is cruel and unusual punishment while others believe “do the crime, pay the time”. Juvenile offenders should be maintained responsible for their conduct, as should every criminal, but trying a child as an adult has gone too far. Children under the age of 18 should not be tried as adults because they have not matured and experienced the reality of the adult world long enough to comprehend what they are doing.
Many problems with trying juveniles as adults have arose within the years, especially in cases where the odds of life without parole are a probability. Today, according to Human Rights Watch, 2,570 U.S. prisoners are serving life sentences without parole and were convicted of severe crimes when they were 14 to 17 years of age, 26% were convicted of felony murder, which is not personally causing someone’s death. Forty four states allow life sentences without the possibility of parole for juveniles. One of the problems which has recently become the primary concern of why not to charge kids the same as adults is mental development. A juvenile is defined by Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law as an individual who is under an aged fixed by law at which he or she would be charged as an adult for a criminal act, an adolescent child 12 years or more, but less than 18 years of age. So why expect them to have the mental capacity as someone who’s 25? Managing and accepting mistakes aren't anywhere as refined in a 14 year old as they would appear in a 25 year old. A psychologist, Laurence Steinberg states, "We know so much more about the adolescent brain and behavior than we used to, and we want to get these facts into the hands of people who can make a difference” (Marilyn Elias pa. 30). Meaning studies have shown children under 18 are not physically, emotionally, and mentally mature enough to make adequate judgments in correspondence to issues which might have a difficult impact on the rest of their young lives. Its determined that the younger a child’s age, the more likely they will be not as experienced and will have a difficulty coping with the different issues given. Because juveniles are in tuned more in the present, they with hold a capacity for establishing the future effects of their choices.
Another problem under fire with convicting juveniles as adults is the likely hood of rape, abuse, and suicide if the child is placed in the same correctional facility as the adults. Because children are more vulnerable and smaller than the adults, they are more likely to be taken advantage of, and because the stress involved with those difficulties it could lead to more serious problems such as suicide, if the child is at the point where he/she can take no more. There is also a high desire to be in a gang while incarcerated because of the protection they provide from other inmates, and if it’s dangerous for the adults just imagine how dangerous it is for a youths. With saying that, research has shown that any amount of time spent in an adult facility, has an outcome of the youth being 34% of having a higher possibility of committing future crimes than being housed in a juvenile center. There is little to no mental health treatment, programs that offer rehabilitation, and education for juvenile offenders in adult

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