Should Juveniles be tried as Adults?

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Each year thousands of teenagers are tried in the adult justice system in the United States. Due to the rise of teenage homicide and teenage crime rate in the 1980s, all states have made it easier to try underage age offenders as adults. California Proposition 21 passed in 2000 gave larger sentences to youth offenders and sent many to be tried in the adult justice system. Proposition 21 increased sentences for gang related crimes, death penalty for gang related murder. The proposition gave life sentences for home robberies, car theft, and drive-by shootings, recruiting for gang activities, and required juveniles of the age 14 and older to be tried as adults for murder or specified sex offenses. Now states are questioning whether youth offenders should be tried as adults or as juveniles. Some believe the juveniles are old enough to know of the consequences of their actions and should be punished accordingly. Others believe children have not yet fully developed their brain to understand the consequences of their actions. In the documentary, “Juvies”, a thirteen year old girl was sentenced to 30 years in prison for driving gang members that killed an innocent bystander. The girl was driving the two gang members around to make it easier to fit into the cool group. The girl had no idea the cruise would result in the death of a seventeen year old boy. Children and teenagers live in the moment and never really pause to question what is going on. Some teenagers commit crimes in order to be accepted in a group or in order to become “cool”. At such a young age, teenagers don’t understand that being cool isn’t that important. In order to feel like they belong, teenagers will do anything that they believe necessary. Youth offenders are more likely to give into peer pressure and negative influences due to their young age. Youth offenders don’t feel like they have control of the

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