The amount of transfers of juveniles to adult courts are not surprising in the least to me especially the rate that these kids are being sent there. According to a 2011 report as much as 250,000 juveniles are processed through the adult courts system. The reasons for these events are due to the get tough on crime policies and age variations among states. Legislators had widened the nets in many different ways; by setting certain offenses to be processed in adult courts or using judicial waivers (in 46 states) to transfer them in adult court. Juveniles serving time in adult facilities can definitely have mental affects on our youth as well. Overall, I believe that certain offenses may need to be waivered to adult courts, but prosecutors need to keep in mind of criminal history and critical situations (like parents being drug addicts) in the juvenile’s life. There needs to be change in our system and more options for community supervision and treatment programs. We can only hope for change.
The focus of incarceration needs to be outcomes driven. As a society we have reached an impasse where the general consensus believes that the sole purpose of incarceration is retribution/punishment and not reform/rehabilitation. This is clearly articulated in the discussion regarding juveniles being sentenced as adults. Juveniles do not have the same mental capabilities as adults, a fact the impacts decision making and corresponding actions. Although the article describes an individual who was able to find success after being locked up as a child, this is the exception, not the rule. Unfortunately, the practice of trying juveniles as adults is not standardized across the country, leaving each state to make decisions based, in my opinion, largely on the political climate of the state.
I do believe there are certain crimes for which stiff penalties must be paid. However, when committed by juveniles who have troubled pasts or other incapacities, the goal should be to reform and educate, not to lock the child up for the rest of his/her life.
I completely agree with your statement regarding how sentencing needs to be outcome driven. In no way am I saying that crimes committed by juveniles should be handled any differently than adults, especially those violent crimes resulting in loss of life but the age of the individual must be taken into consideration during the sentencing procedure. In many cases these kids are simply a product of their environment and we must use our resources to repair the social disorganization breakdown. Thanks Doug123
I think that juveniles should not be charged in adult courts. Everyone makes mistakes when they are younger. I understand that every state has a certain age to be tried in adult court, but I believe that we should hire the age to 17 in all states. Both court systems are completely different. Juveniles don't need to be in adult prisons. I also understand that some juveniles commit crimes continuously even after already being tried. I don't know if they don't look into why they are committing these crimes good enough. Maybe they need help. Instead of adult courts, they should try them in juvenile courts and try to help them as well. They could have had a very rough life growing up and don't see what they are doing as wrong. There is a difference between a juvenile and an adult. I just think that adults should be tried in adult courts and juveniles in juvenile courts.
I completely agree. Im sure everyone does things as kids that they do not know for sure what they were doing. so why dont we teach them a lesson instead of punishing them forever. thanks emily 123
I think that enough doctor have shown that a child brain is not full developed enough to be fully blamed for there crime. Now I believe that while yes the child should do time and/or repay what they have stolen. That’s it I don’t believe that a child should spend a life plus sentence in jail. When adult murders don’t even get that much time and their brains are fully develop. I don’t think it can be justified why we can punished a child all his or her life for a crime they did when they where under the age of 18. They are still learning. And what adult jails put that child though. That child will never be a productive adult, all that child knows from them being little to the adult hood is prison life. I know of adults that can’t handle jail and we except a child to live there for the rest of his/her life. For a country that prides itself of the protection of children. How can this still be going on?
I entirely agree. Your remarks remind me that once a child is given a life sentence, it is basically the end for that child. They have no future, no opportunities any longer. It can be argued that they deserve it for exercising behavior that is deviant from social norms, and so they deserve it. But it is unfair to reduce a human being's life to rubble when they act on a developing brain.
A human brain is not fully developed until they are in their early 20's. Due to this we should not be trying kids in adult court. As the article said around 250,000 kids go through the adult court system every year. With tougher sentences and criminal records it makes it very difficult for these children to ever get past one criminal act, that occurred before they were truly an adult. Not only does this happen to children, but adult felons have a very hard time adjusting to a normal life. Our society punishes offenders for a lifetime, whether it be voting, gun ownership, inability to get a job or have a drivers license. Once they have served their time in prison they have paid for what they did and would like to lead a normal life when they get out. How are they supposed to ever live a life free of crime if they are limited in ways to earn money and live a normal life? While being waived to adult court may be appropriate for some, for most it is unnecessary and ridiculous.
The section on trying juveniles as adult and placing them in adult prisons for their crimes is fascinating. The post tells of a determined prosecutor that managed to send a 15-year-old to adult prison. The criminal's sister says that the prosecution did not take into account a number of biosocial theories, including the broken family in which he was raised and the addict mother he had. In my opinion a person, of any age, who is capable of such evil is certainly capable of committing such acts again, and should be punished. But I don't think that placing him in adult prison is the right route to go. I believe that in the presence of adults, convicted of crimes that are, arguably, more severe than a majority of the population in juvenile prisons, our 15-year-old will learn new methods of crime and more importantly, a new view on the world from his adult peers. They will not be forgiving towards a 15-year-old, they will exercise the same manners and behaviors against the boy, possibly reinforcing an especially hardened and offensive persona within the boy. I don't think that it is appropriate to try children as adults, and to place them in adult prisons.
Trying juveniles as adults has many different views. When a child commits what is considered and adult crime there are many different ways it can be handled. When it comes to charging a juvenile in adult court it should depend on the seriousness of the crime, the intent of the crime, and the number of times and event like this has occurred. With a first time offender the child should be severely warned and then released without any permanent record of the occurrence. But when it happens a second or third time and the juvenile is pleading the excuse of being a child the crime should be transferred to adult court and handled correctly with the punishment fitting the crime. Not all children grow up in healthy homes and know how to stay out of trouble. Most young criminals grew up and still live in troublesome environments where criminal behavior is a norm.
I agree with this statement. The harshness, intent, and number of times the juvenile has affended plays a big role in the decision of trying them as an adult. I also agree with the part about the living conditions, like their home and environments.
Many people have opposite views on trying juveniles as an adult. Some think that it is not fair to try them as adults, the reason being their brain, depending on their age, may not be fully developed so they might not have the same common sense or knowledge as grown person. The others, including I, think that they are perfectly aware of the crimes they are committing. However, they should only be tried as adults for certain crimes, which pertains to the harshness or intent of their actions. The prosecuter can decide whether he or she wants to try the juvenile as an adult or not, if the opportunity is permitted.
The amount of transfers of juveniles to adult courts are not surprising in the least to me especially the rate that these kids are being sent there. According to a 2011 report as much as 250,000 juveniles are processed through the adult courts system. The reasons for these events are due to the get tough on crime policies and age variations among states. Legislators had widened the nets in many different ways; by setting certain offenses to be processed in adult courts or using judicial waivers (in 46 states) to transfer them in adult court. Juveniles serving time in adult facilities can definitely have mental affects on our youth as well.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I believe that certain offenses may need to be waivered to adult courts, but prosecutors need to keep in mind of criminal history and critical situations (like parents being drug addicts) in the juvenile’s life. There needs to be change in our system and more options for community supervision and treatment programs. We can only hope for change.
Alyssa DeVore123
I agree with much of your statement. Juveniles are juveniles for the most part.....
DeleteThe focus of incarceration needs to be outcomes driven. As a society we have reached an impasse where the general consensus believes that the sole purpose of incarceration is retribution/punishment and not reform/rehabilitation. This is clearly articulated in the discussion regarding juveniles being sentenced as adults. Juveniles do not have the same mental capabilities as adults, a fact the impacts decision making and corresponding actions. Although the article describes an individual who was able to find success after being locked up as a child, this is the exception, not the rule. Unfortunately, the practice of trying juveniles as adults is not standardized across the country, leaving each state to make decisions based, in my opinion, largely on the political climate of the state.
ReplyDeleteI do believe there are certain crimes for which stiff penalties must be paid. However, when committed by juveniles who have troubled pasts or other incapacities, the goal should be to reform and educate, not to lock the child up for the rest of his/her life.
Lynn Montgomery 123
I agree some crimes must be paid. There are juveniles that have had troubled pasts. I agree with you.
DeleteI completely agree with your statement regarding how sentencing needs to be outcome driven. In no way am I saying that crimes committed by juveniles should be handled any differently than adults, especially those violent crimes resulting in loss of life but the age of the individual must be taken into consideration during the sentencing procedure. In many cases these kids are simply a product of their environment and we must use our resources to repair the social disorganization breakdown. Thanks Doug123
DeleteI think that juveniles should not be charged in adult courts. Everyone makes mistakes when they are younger. I understand that every state has a certain age to be tried in adult court, but I believe that we should hire the age to 17 in all states. Both court systems are completely different. Juveniles don't need to be in adult prisons. I also understand that some juveniles commit crimes continuously even after already being tried. I don't know if they don't look into why they are committing these crimes good enough. Maybe they need help. Instead of adult courts, they should try them in juvenile courts and try to help them as well. They could have had a very rough life growing up and don't see what they are doing as wrong. There is a difference between a juvenile and an adult. I just think that adults should be tried in adult courts and juveniles in juvenile courts.
ReplyDeleteMeganBurke123
I completely agree. Im sure everyone does things as kids that they do not know for sure what they were doing. so why dont we teach them a lesson instead of punishing them forever.
Deletethanks emily 123
I think that enough doctor have shown that a child brain is not full developed enough to be fully blamed for there crime. Now I believe that while yes the child should do time and/or repay what they have stolen. That’s it I don’t believe that a child should spend a life plus sentence in jail. When adult murders don’t even get that much time and their brains are fully develop. I don’t think it can be justified why we can punished a child all his or her life for a crime they did when they where under the age of 18. They are still learning. And what adult jails put that child though. That child will never be a productive adult, all that child knows from them being little to the adult hood is prison life. I know of adults that can’t handle jail and we except a child to live there for the rest of his/her life. For a country that prides itself of the protection of children. How can this still be going on?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Eddie123
I entirely agree. Your remarks remind me that once a child is given a life sentence, it is basically the end for that child. They have no future, no opportunities any longer. It can be argued that they deserve it for exercising behavior that is deviant from social norms, and so they deserve it. But it is unfair to reduce a human being's life to rubble when they act on a developing brain.
DeleteAbhra123
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteA human brain is not fully developed until they are in their early 20's. Due to this we should not be trying kids in adult court. As the article said around 250,000 kids go through the adult court system every year. With tougher sentences and criminal records it makes it very difficult for these children to ever get past one criminal act, that occurred before they were truly an adult. Not only does this happen to children, but adult felons have a very hard time adjusting to a normal life. Our society punishes offenders for a lifetime, whether it be voting, gun ownership, inability to get a job or have a drivers license. Once they have served their time in prison they have paid for what they did and would like to lead a normal life when they get out. How are they supposed to ever live a life free of crime if they are limited in ways to earn money and live a normal life? While being waived to adult court may be appropriate for some, for most it is unnecessary and ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteWill123
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe section on trying juveniles as adult and placing them in adult prisons for their crimes is fascinating. The post tells of a determined prosecutor that managed to send a 15-year-old to adult prison. The criminal's sister says that the prosecution did not take into account a number of biosocial theories, including the broken family in which he was raised and the addict mother he had. In my opinion a person, of any age, who is capable of such evil is certainly capable of committing such acts again, and should be punished. But I don't think that placing him in adult prison is the right route to go. I believe that in the presence of adults, convicted of crimes that are, arguably, more severe than a majority of the population in juvenile prisons, our 15-year-old will learn new methods of crime and more importantly, a new view on the world from his adult peers. They will not be forgiving towards a 15-year-old, they will exercise the same manners and behaviors against the boy, possibly reinforcing an especially hardened and offensive persona within the boy. I don't think that it is appropriate to try children as adults, and to place them in adult prisons.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Abhra123
Trying juveniles as adults has many different views. When a child commits what is considered and adult crime there are many different ways it can be handled. When it comes to charging a juvenile in adult court it should depend on the seriousness of the crime, the intent of the crime, and the number of times and event like this has occurred. With a first time offender the child should be severely warned and then released without any permanent record of the occurrence. But when it happens a second or third time and the juvenile is pleading the excuse of being a child the crime should be transferred to adult court and handled correctly with the punishment fitting the crime. Not all children grow up in healthy homes and know how to stay out of trouble. Most young criminals grew up and still live in troublesome environments where criminal behavior is a norm.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement. The harshness, intent, and number of times the juvenile has affended plays a big role in the decision of trying them as an adult. I also agree with the part about the living conditions, like their home and environments.
DeleteMany people have opposite views on trying juveniles as an adult. Some think that it is not fair to try them as adults, the reason being their brain, depending on their age, may not be fully developed so they might not have the same common sense or knowledge as grown person. The others, including I, think that they are perfectly aware of the crimes they are committing. However, they should only be tried as adults for certain crimes, which pertains to the harshness or intent of their actions. The prosecuter can decide whether he or she wants to try the juvenile as an adult or not, if the opportunity is permitted.
ReplyDelete