Juveniles In Prison

In 2013, there were over 14,000 known murder offenders in the US. Less than four percent of them were under eighteen. Yet, the US is one of only two countries in the world that sentence juveniles to life without parole. According to Adam Serwer, “The practice of tossing juveniles in prison for life without the possibility of parole began during America’s great crime panic. The result is a gruesome footnote to the story of America’s love affair with mass incarceration: an estimated 2,570 juveniles serving life without parole in a nation that already imprisons more of its population than any other country” (The Daily Beast). It is still an ongoing debate whether or not minors should be sentenced to life in prison for murder. However, evidence

According to Laurence Steinberg of Temple University, “The teenage brain is like a car with a good accelerator but a weak brake. With powerful impulses under poor control, the likely result is a crash” (CNN). Teenagers cannot control impulses and make decisions as well as an adult can, and are vulnerable to influences such as peer pressure and their environment. Many do not understand the extent of the crime they are committing and the consequences that may ensue. Some argue that regardless of age, most people understand that murder is wrong and know not to do it. However, teenagers are in a period of time in which they are easily influenced and likely to act on impulse, and sending them to prison would cause more harm to their developing brain than a juvenile detention center where they can be helped. By sending them to prison for life for a mistake they made while still immature, juvenile offenders will never have the opportunity to mature into a contributing member of society. Because teenage brains are not fully developed and are easily imprinted on, environmental influences also contribute largely to juvenile

Based on an interview with Andrew Lorek, a 15-year-old who fatally shot a teenager because of gang rivalry, “In the years before the shooting, Lorek said he was teased for his glasses, chipped tooth, and stutter. He began treatment for mental health issues at 11, court records show. Behind every youthful misstep—joining a gang at 12, using drugs and alcohol, stealing cars—was a yearning to belong” (Chicago Tribune). Similar circumstances such as a violent upbringing and abuse can be seen in many other cases. Mental illnesses also play a part, as they can cause delusions, reduced rational thought, and even lead some to be unable to discern reality from fiction. Although some say that these circumstances do not change the fact that they committed murder, it signals that they need help and rehabilitation that can be better provided to them at a juvenile detention center rather than prison. Because poor circumstances and environmental influences can drive a minor to commit murder, it is important that they are given the chance to change and