What do you do with a murderer of a child? The story of Michelle Jones is a controversial one, a tale of an attempt at redemption. Michelle Jones was abused by her mother as a child when she grew up. At 14, she became pregnant as a result of non-consensual sex. When her child was four years old, she killed and buried him. The penalty, 50 years in federal prison, was correctly justified. After 20 years, she was let out due to good behavior and her educational attainment; she had received her undergraduate and graduate degrees studying in prison. Without internet, she read from the prison’s library and produced a research project. Let out 30 years early, she applied to many of the top universities in country, including New York University and …show more content…
Her psychological damage done from the mistreatment by her mother and having a baby non-consensually should be taken into consideration. None of these make murder okay; However she was clearly immature and scared at the time. It was a mistake that she made when she was very young. If she had remained in jail for 50 years, she would be a senior citizen when released. She would miss the majority of her life and her youth to pursuit major accomplishments and redeem herself. Taking away one’s the opportunity to contribute to the world or pursue their goals would almost be taking away his/her life. Our society should promote the value of life and its potential. Originally, I did not think of the sentence in that way, but the class discussion invoked thought. Recently turning 18 years old, I slowly fathomed the magnitude of a near life sentence for a crime committed as a teenager. Why should one’s opportunity be taken away if he/she has the desire and potential to redeem himself/herself? I came to the conclusion that her redemption attempt deserved a shot. All people, especially young ones, deserve a second chance and allowing her to pursue her degree gave her
Most people don 't look at every aspect of a crime. They don 't think about everyone that was affected, other than the victim. In her article "On Punishment and Teen Killers", Jennifer Jenkins explains how her younger sister was taken from her by a murderer who shot and killed her. In her article she states, "So few who work on the juvenile offender side can truly understand what the victims of their crimes sometimes go through. Some never recover." Jenkins is explaining her personal experience of losing her younger sister to help others understand what the families of the victim have to deal with for the rest of their lives. She brings a point of view that most people have never been in because they 've never experienced what it 's like to have a loved one taken away from you by murder. In her story she also states, "If brain development were the reason, then teens would kill at roughly the same rates all over the world." Many people believe that the supreme court needs to be more lenient on juveniles because their brain is not fully developed as that of an adult, but brain development cannot be used as an excuse because as Jenkins explains, the teens would be killing at the same rate all over the world. Jenkins also brings up a good point about how the US as a whole needs to step up to prevent these crimes from happening. Jenkins states, "We in America have to own to this particular problem, with weapons so easily available to our youth, and the violence-loving culture we raise them. She is trying to bring awareness to society that America is also at fault for these crimes. Furthermore, she also explains why life sentencing is not as cruel as some may feel it is when she says, "… a life sentencing still allows a great deal of good living to be done, even from behind bars, far more than these teen killers gave to our murdered love
In July of 2008, one of the biggest crime cases devastated the United States nation-wide. The death of Caylee Anthony, a two year old baby, became the most popular topic in a brief amount of time. Caylee’s mother, Casey Anthony, became the main suspect after the child supposedly was kidnapped and went missing. To this day, the Casey Anthony case shocks me because justice, in my opinion, wasn’t served. I feel as if the criminal conviction system became somewhat corrupted in this case. The entire nation, including the court system, knew that Casey Anthony was behind this criminal act, but yet she escaped all charges. I chose this case not only because it’s debatable, but also to help state the obvious, this case was handled the wrong way. Clearly the legal system was biased, which worked in Casey Anthony’s favor, freeing a murderer.
If a family member was murdered, a family member was murdered, age should not dictate if the punishment for homicide will be more lenient or not. If anyone not just juveniles has the capabilities to take someone's life and does so knowing the repercussions, they should be convicted as an adult. In the case of Jennifer Bishop Jenkins who lost her sister, the husband and their unborn child, is a strong advocate of juveniles being sentenced to life without parole. In her article “Jennifer Bishop Jenkins On Punishment and Teen Killers” she shows the world the other side of the spectrum, how it is to be the victim of a juvenile in a changing society where people are fighting against life sentences for juveniles. As she states in the article “There are no words adequate to describe what this kind of traumatic loss does to a victims family. So few who work on the juvenile offender side can truly understand what the victims of their crimes sometimes go through. Some never
Heinous crimes are considered brutal and common among adults who commit these crimes, but among children with a young age, it is something that is now being counted for an adult trial and punishable with life sentencing. Although some people agree with this decision being made by judges, It is my foremost belief that juveniles don’t deserve to be given life sentencing without being given a chance at rehabilitation. If this goes on there’s no point in even having a juvenile system if children are not being rehabilitated and just being sent off to prison for the rest of their lives and having no chance getting an education or future. Gail Garinger’s article “ juveniles Don’t deserve Life sentence”, written March 14, 2012 and published by New york Times, mentions that “ Nationwide, 79 adolescents have been sentenced to die in prison-a sentence not imposed on children anywhere else in the world. These children were told that they could never change and that no one cared what became of them. They were denied access to education and rehabilitation programs and left without help or hope”. I myself know what it’s like to be in a situation like that, and i also know that people are capable of changing even children when they are young and still growing.
Although the death penalty alone cannot bring back the life of those who have been murdered, it can serve as ultimate justice for the victims and their families. The deterrence of the death penalty can save lives. While opinions abound on both sides of the fence, in the use of the death penalty on juveniles, no one can argue with the fact that the voices of those murdered cannot be heard. Juveniles may not have fully developed brains, as Raeburn argues, but this is not an adequate excuse to dismiss the death penalty. American society cannot afford to babysit murderers, nor can they rehabilitate them. The end of the innocence begins when an innocent life is taken, and the sanctity of life is held defenseless.
“Si se puede”, Is something Ceasar Chavez said when he wanted to inspire people and change their lives. Cesar Chavez changed farm workers lives by getting them new rights,better pay, and got them safer working conditions. “Mother” Jones helped the rights of factory workers, but the laws she wanted to be passed didn’t happen until a few years after her death. They both helped workers rights but Mother Jones did a little more than Cesar Chavez because she physically helped the factory workers by getting them safer working conditions so they did not get hurt. In this essay i will be talking about who helped the most and i will also be comparing them both.
In the correction world there is a lot to deal with and one big aspect of it is that there are many women that go into jails or prisons pregnant or already having children. The amount of women in jails or prisons keeps rising over the years. There are better ways then keeping pregnant women in jails. Alternatives for these women are in there best interests.
In the article On Punishment and Teen Killers by Jenkins, sadly brings to our attention that kids are sometimes responsible for unimaginable crimes, in 1990 in a suburban Chicago neighborhood a teenager murdered a women, her husband, and her unborn child, as she begged for the life of her unborn child he shot her and later reported to a close friend that it was a “thrill kill”, that he just simply wanted to see what it felt like to shoot someone. A major recent issue being debated is whether or not we have the right to sentence Juveniles who commit heinous crimes to life in adult penitentiaries without parole. I strongly believe and agree with the law that states adolescents who commit these heinous crimes should be tried as adults and sentenced as adults, however I don’t believe they should be sentenced to life without parole. I chose this position because I believe that these young adults in no way should be excused for their actions and need to face the severe consequences of their actions. Although on the other hand I believe change is possible and that prison could be rehabilitating and that parole should be offered.
“When my mother was sentenced, I felt I was sentenced. She was sentenced to prison, away from her kids and family. I was sentenced as a child-to be without my mother.” This quotation is part of a story of a young woman’s struggle with her mother being in prison. Separation from children is an issue that many female prisoners face. However, it’s not just the mothers who will suffer; we must also consider the children of these women. The children are often left to deal with many emotions ranging from anxiety to feelings of abandonment. If part of the sentence is no communication with the children, who is really being punished, the mother or the child?
We usually consider an individual to be exceptional if that person has one or more abilities that most people do not have. Marion Jones, a black, beautiful and determined women as stated in the film “Copy of 30 for 30 Marion Jones press,” faced huge consequences and jeopardized her career, reputation, and integrity. In 2008, Marion Jones was convicted and sentenced to six months in federal prison for lying to federal prosecutors about steroid use.
There are few circumstances where an individual’s specific crime can bypass the question of rehabilitation and cause them to ethically deserve the death penalty. Some cases that come to mind are the Colorado movie theater shooting and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Both the crimes mentioned above caused the death of a multitude of innocent people and impacted...
The tragic case of Larry and Brandon is a compelling story. It is a reality that stunned the city of Oxnard California when a 14-year-old boy named Brandon McInerney fatally shot a fellow classmate, Larry King, twice in the back of the head. The incident occurred in a computer lab where Brandon ran off after committing the crime. As a result of his actions Brandon McInerney was tried as an adult and was sentenced to 21 years in prison with no chance of parole. He will be released at the age of 39. Now the underlying question is was Brandon’s sentence a just resolution or should he have received more or less years in prison. The truth is that I believe Brandon’s verdict was a fair and just punishment, however I don’t believe that he should have been tried as an adult. There’s no question about it what Brandon did was horrible. He killed a kid in cold blood and ran off after doing it. He knows what he did and now he has to suffer the consequences. But Brandon was only 14 years old when this had taken place.
...50 abortion. After her abortion she felt drained, like she would never be happy again. But as she told her ex-boyfriend of her experience with gratitude she felt confused. How could she smile? Why doesn’t she feel remorse? But she knows that she feels no remorse. She feels sadness, frustration, and anger about the process and struggle she went through. But she feels no remorse for her choice.
We call ourselves the United States, yet we are anything but united. Social justice, which I believe to be the promotion of equality in money, opportunity, and rights amongst all people, plays a key role in todays ever-so-demanding society. Although many aspects can be affected by social justice, gender is major one. By creating equal pay between men and women and making feminine hygiene products for women become free, I believe that we as a society will inch towards creating a more just society.
For instance, juveniles do not deserve life sentences because their brain isn’t fully developed yet and lack awareness of their actions. In the article “Startling Finds on Teenage Brains” by Paul Thompson, he explains the development of the brain and how in some situations the brain isn’t ready and it can affect the person. This effect in divergent ways; psychologically and emotionally. Thompson's article introduces the case of Nathaniel Brazill, at age 14, charged with second degree murder, trial as an adult and sentenced to life in prison without parole. After some serious research, it has shown that as many other juveniles who have committed a crime they are “far from adulthood”.