Juveniles Tried As Adults Essay

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With the current crime rates on the rise, the justice system is trying to reduce adult criminals by strictly prosecuting juvenile offenders as adults. Many people believe that in doing so will scare the criminals back on the straight path and help to lower the crime rate. Trying a juvenile as an adult will have no effect on reducing crimes, corrective behaviors, or a juvenile’s comprehension ability. When a juvenile is presented in the adult justice system, there is very little options to correct bad behaviors. However, in a juvenile court, there are many options that are available such as house arrest, curfews, community service, counseling, and jail. With these options available and many others, juveniles have a chance to correct poor judgement choices without spending majority of their life in jail. Studies have shown that juveniles who have been tried as adults and been sentenced harsh punishments have a higher chance of committing a crime sooner than those tried in the juvenile system. …show more content…

However, the human brain fully matures around the mid-20s and early 30s. With the brain developing at a later age, many people have difficulty with impulsive behavior and are more prone to peer pressure. Laurence Steinberg stated that “Adult punishment is partial for a child that lacks comprehension of their acts”. He suggested a separation of the age group of under 12 and ages 12 to 16. In spite of the offense, children under 12 ought to be tried as minors. “Children between the ages of 12 and 16 should be viewed on a case by case basis depending on the competence of the

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