Project#1 Summaries Should juveniles, who have been convicted of murder, receive prison sentences of “life without the possibility of parole”? 14 Years Old: Too Young for Life in Prison? Sevil Omer Two teenagers were convicted murderers and sentenced by being put in prison for a long time without possibility of parole. Opponents of harsh sentences debated that those juveniles deserve to be given second chances. The lawyers for the young criminals believed that their immature behaviors were triggered by semi-developed brains.
Hannah Mr. Elenbaas Advanced Composition 8 January 2014 Should Minors be Tried as Adults? There is much controversy over the issue of whether a child should be tried as an adult if convicted of a violent crime. Minors are starting to watch adults who are doing violent crimes, and they think it might be okay if they do it too. But does this mean we can punish minors like adults? Minors should not be tried as adults because they have not experienced the world like adults have, and they are not competent enough to go through or understand a trial.
More than a decade ago, with the intent of being tough on crime, Virginia lawmakers made it relatively easy to try a juvenile as an adult. In many instances, prosecutors can take a teen's case to adult court even if a juvenile judge rules that the case doesn't belong there. But as report after report have concluded that trying teens as adults does nothing to deter crime -- and that sending teens to adult prison makes them more likely to become repeat offenders -- a state commission is evaluating whether Virginia's approach needs to change. Roanoke lawyer Chris Kowalczuk, who has defended teenagers in high-profile murder cases, said the problem with putting teens in adult prison is obvious: "All you've succeeded in doing is permanently and irrevocably scarring them for life." It's difficult to judge how effective Virginia's system is when it comes to juveniles punished as adults, because no state agency keeps track of how these cases turn out.
One of the most controversial issues society faces today is the death penalty, especially when involving juveniles. People see it as cruel and unusual especially for juveniles because their so young and immature and they don’t have the mental culpability to understand the outcome of their actions. The juvenile justice system main goal is rehabilitation, not punishment. Two major cases that impacted the Juvenile Justice system, regarding juveniles and execution are Stanford v Kentucky and Roper v Simmons. Stanford v Kentucky was a United States Supreme court case that dealt with the imposition of the death penalty on offenders who were at least sixteen years old at the time the crime was committed.
A minor in general is someone under the age of 18. So the question at hand is should minors be tried as adults for crimes that they have committed? The answer is no (excluding murders)because in most cases minors are peer pressured into doing things that are not acceptable, and in some cases, can change as they grow and mature into adults. How about rehabilitation in a suitable facility can be a start, and then education and special activities can follow. According to (Zimring,1978) “The view is that young offenders deserved less severe punishment than adults justified the separate juvenile justice system and persisted, seemingly with broad public support, throughout most of the last century”.
The law considers youth crimes to be less culpable than adult, therefore juvenile punishment should not be as severe as those available for adults, even for the exact same crime.” The punishment of a 14 year old, Arkansas teenager who wasn’t the triggerman at a video rental store that he and his robbed was fair. Even though he wasn’t the one who pull the trigger, that kill the cashier, Under Arkansas felony-murder law, he was tried as an adult for aggravated murder and, under state law, received a mandatory sentence of life without parole. Youth that doesn’t have the bond or lack of positive influence are likely to commit violent crimes. According to, (Laub, 1983), “Indicates that the economic isolation of inner-city neighborhood, along with the concentration of poverty and unemployment, lead to an erosion of the formal and informal controls that inhibit delinquent behavior”. Their environment plays a
The first poin of view to this question answer is simply yes. Teenagers who commit dangerous crimes should be punished as adults to protect society from dangerous individuals regardless of age. It sends a clear message to juveniles who commit murder, rape, and assault that they must be accountable for their actions. Many think that teens have the maturity and judgement necessary to make
Should Children Under The Age of 18 Be Tried As Adults? Today you hear more and more about children, under the age of 18, who has committed murder. Whether it was on purpose or by accident, these stories are beginning to fill up the headlines. A big question is how are these children punished for the crimes that they commit? Children are not considered to be adults, so should they be tried as adults?
No one wants to convict an innocent man or woman of a crime they didn’t commit, so surely no one wants to convict a juvenile—without knowing. The process of the juvenile court system all depends on the seriousness of the offense/crime and whether the juveniles denies involvement or claims involvement. If the court finds that the juvenile is involved, or the juvenile claims involvement, the court will then decide the juveniles punishment based on best interest for the juvenile. For adults, the goal of the court is to punish the adult if found guilty of committing a crime. Juveniles, however, are much younger and may require a different approach.
Should juveniles who have been physically, mentally, and sexually abused be handed adult sentences for retaliating? We need to look at exactly what influences children to commit heinous crimes. Mentally ill patients should be cared for as mentally ill patients, not criminal offenders. The mentally ill need an alternative to the prison system. Justice has evolved a great deal, especially when the death penalty is involved.