While watching the video one thing that was the main point of the video was that the things we do as kids/teenagers does not define who we are going to be as adults. Kids do a lot of stupid things in their teenage years mostly because they think that they are invincible and that their actions will have no consequences. Unfortunately for many teenagers, the things they decide to do often have major consequences, as is the case for everyone shown in the video. They were kids when they committed their crimes, often times if was murder that they had committed and were serving life without parole for it. As stated by many of the people in the video, they are no longer the same person that they were when they had committed the crime, they have grown as many of us have and are better people. Kids often times do things that they may not know are wrong because they're young and are still learning. In my opinion every person deserves a second chance especially if they are young because they may not have known what they were doing at the time. however it is pretty easy to know that hurting another human being and/or killing them is pretty bad, even kids should know that. Where do we draw the line and say even though you were young you still should have know that what you were doing was very bad. It is a very hard topic to talk about especially when kids are involved in it. Teenagers are very vulnerable to making mistakes in their lives, but that's how you learn in life, is by making mistakes and learning from those mistakes what to do and what not to do in life. These people were never given a second chance and they had to learn from their mistake in prison their whole life, people like this deserve a second chance at getting things right, much like the second chances all of us were granted when we made mistakes in our child/young adulthood. Pack123
I agree with some of what you said but I had mixed feelings about the video. I believe that people need to be held accountable for if they take another life and the families forced to endure the pain they caused should see justice but at the same time, I feel that with the age the crimes were committed, they at some point should reach the limit of when the punishment has been enough. It’s very true, and was indeed shown in the video that people grow up and mentality changes over time. I think that though the families were suffering at the release of the criminals, they should not harbor too much on something that happened more than twenty years ago and realize that the punishment has been paid and more will come throughout their lives as life goes on. SomethingProfound123
After watching the video one thing that I think was the main point is that not everybody gets a second chance, but stating in the video when you're a teenager the actions you did won't define you in your adult life. For example we all know teenagers do stupid things thinking they will get away with it until they eventually get caught. That also means if they can learn from those mistakes they deserve to get another chance then to be sent to prison for the rest of there lives. Most times kids get caught up in crime without analyzing the consequences that could occur. I believe in the video it basically states that teenagers have much greater potential for reform than adults do; in many cases young people are going to age out of the behavior that leads into crimes. Our laws I believe should still recognize that they are capable of redemption and reform. It is hard to say though if a kid commits murder and they would be serving life without no parole, it may be hard for the court system to think that they could turn them self’s around if they have had many counts on them. As stated by the video though, many people in the video are not the same person that they were when the crime happened, they are no longer that person they are a different. I believe that everybody deserves a second chance but on the other hand I understand is if you let a kid go, they still might go out in life and commit more crimes. I understand they are young and have so much more to life but, you never know if they are going to change their life around. In the end I will say everyone could be considered to have a second chance in life because they should be able to a chance to make things right. Everyone makes mistakes in life so harder than others but nobody is perfect. Smile123
Sure not everyone gets a second chance, but the Supreme Court decided to give life sentence juveniles one. It makes sense for the court to arrive upon this verdict because quite frankly juveniles probably were not fully aware at the time of their offenses. Our justice system needs to be more understanding of the things that pushed these young men and women to commit their crime(s). Chances are, they came from terrible backgrounds where they had to fight to survive in their daily lives. We as a country need to develop a better rehab system that will allow these criminal kids to become functioning and effective members of society. Some should be allowed this privilege while others should not due to their mental status, etc. There has to be a comprehensive evaluation as to whether or not the juvenile has fully comprehended their crime and will be able to continue throughout their life without committing a single crime. A no tolerance law should be in effect for these offenders who are given another chance at life. This is to ensure that they will be headed back to prison for any substantial crime they may commit in the future. Second chances are great, but we need to be extremely careful as a nation as to whom we give them to. Fireboy123
The video presents split sides to the argument of whether juvenile offenders should deserve a second chance at life after their crime(s). Some kids are put into a terrible childhood that provides them nothing, but darkness. This is not fair by any means, as many kids are given great childhoods, where they don't have to fight for their lives' everyday. Some kids don't get that option as they are placed into terrible situations such as living in the ghetto or being exposed to drug dealing. You can not blame the kid when their deadbeat parent's raise or not raise them to be a certain way. The lack of parental responsibility is most likely the cause of the juvenile crimes. We as a community or country need to address the source of these juvenile crimes instead of just blaming helpless kids put in horrible situations. The justice system needs to understand how a childhood can destroy or prosper a person. A lot of the crimes these specific kids featured in the video probably committed their crime(s) to showboat to their elders, friends, family, gangs, etc. or whomever they looked up to or wanted to impress. The fact that courts' refuse to accept this common knowledge is almost as bad as the crimes that were committed. The juvenile brain does not fully develop until the 20's, so how can you expect a juvenile to differentiate between extreme right and wrong when they have very limited life experiences. This is especially prevalent when a majority or all of these life experiences are bad. The mistakes that these kids made are most likely a result of their childhood experiences/situation, therefore most need rehab and yes some prison time. Dependent on how much the kid has changed since when the crime was committed and their sentencing should determine how much longer they should stay in prison. The courts' wise judgement should be used to determine whether a juvenile is 'really' changed from the time they committed the crime(s) and if they deserve to be released from prison or their sentence reduced. Now there are some cases where juveniles should be punished with life in prison and that is to be decided by every individual court system. For our justice system to be effective towards juvenile crimes, the situations that these juveniles encountered shall always be considered into sentencing. Fireboy123
What I think about this video is that miners do need a second chances. Everybody makes mistakes at least once in their lifetime. Nobody is perfect even if you want them to be. People learn from their mistakes but sometimes you will need help to learn from them. I think you should forgive the people who made mistakes and let them make it right. As long as they are willing to prove to you, they know what they did was wrong. I also feel if they admit to the crime and apologize for his/hers actions then yea. Some criminals are not the same as they were before they learned from their mistakes. I understand that some people are afraid to have them back in their neighborhood. If you were in there shoes you will want another chance. Yes, there are some stupid teens out there that let other kids talk the into doing stupid stuff as they go to jail for the crime that they had commented they have time to sit and think what they had done what they could had done to not be in the situations there in now. They grow from there mistake and know what to do now. Some teens grow up in that type of environment in think what they did was ok but as over time they see it’s not. Just because they had committed this crime does mean that they are bed people, we don’t even know what state of mind some of these teens are in as they are committing these crimes. All am trying to say is that yes I’m on bored to giving people second chances teens will be teens but as they get older they learn and grow from stupid stuff they have done in the pass. Everyone need a second chance to prove themselves. PIZZA123
I agree with you and saying that minors do often deserve a second chance especially because they are still learning and growing and developing. They often do not have any idea of the consequences their actions will have and I believe that they should be given a second chance in cases such as the ones shown in the video because they are still very young and have no idea of the magnitude the consequences of their mistakes can be. Pack123
I agree that young people do need second chances especially if they are willing to prove that they know how and are willing to turn their lives around. If juveniles are willing to go out and find jobs or straighten their lives out then I think we should help them, not just lock them up for life. If they get locked up for life and do not have the opportunity to get a steady job then they may be willing to go back to a life of crime. Illini123
My thoughts on this video is what some things you do in your teenage years does not define you as an adult. As teenagers, we are more likely to make a bad decision because we are not mature enough to make a good decision and realize the difference from right or wrong. People deserve second chances but it also depends on how horrible the crime is. I understand if they grew up in a violent environment and nobody taught them right from wrong, but one day they have to see thats how you can't be in life and its wrong. Everyone is going to make a mistake that they aren't proud of and going to mess up, but I believe that they should have a chance to make it right. With this being said, its also not bad for a teenager to go to prison for a crime. This could help a person grow as an adult down the road and realize the decision they made and how much it has affected people around him. I believe that teenagers do deserve a second chance, but they also need some jail time because they need to think about what they did so they can grow and learn to become a more civilized adult. More teenagers need to realize the difference between right from wrong but that wont happen till actions are taking to prevent teenagers from murdering someone or doing a crime that can mess up they're life.
I agree with you that juveniles do deserve a second chance, but only after they have been incarcerated after a certain length of time. Depending on how severe their act of violence was, they definitely should be allowed a second chance. Their mental maturity is not as high as that of an adult at the time of their crime. I do believe that with time for them to mature and come to know right and wrong, these juveniles should be given second chances. Gymlife123.
This is the classic nature versus nurture comparison, and at a young age it can be extremely hard to separate the two when it comes to criminal tendencies. Furthermore, incarcerating juveniles while some times necessary can have devastating effects on that persons future. Once released that inmate can look forward to an increased challenge of finding a job, benefits, and even housing. While violent offenses need to be punished severely non-violent offenses should be punished more so with intermediate sanctions such as probations before incarceration. Ghost123
Should juveniles be granted a second chance after being convicted of such heinous acts of violence once they have had the time to mature and become remorseful of their actions? That is the big question that this video magnifies for us. Most of these juveniles, yes, I believe do deserve a second chance because of two main reasons: The first reason being the problem with mass incarceration in our country. What are we really accomplishing here if somebody got into a fight with another person when they were a teenager and killed that person out of an impulse reaction, denying them parole even if they are truly remorseful of their act and it was not premeditated? Nothing will be fixed or changed if they continue to sit in prison for the rest of their natural life because of a dumb decision that they made as a child. That person was not yet at a full level of mental maturity when they committed that crime, so there is the possibility that they can ‘grow up’ and realize the consequences during their incarceration. In the 2010 Supreme Court case Graham v. Florida, it was ruled that a state is not required to guarantee eventual freedom to a juvenile offender; however, it did require a meaningful opportunity to obtain release based on demonstrated maturity and rehabilitation. The second reason I believe juveniles should be granted second chances is that their childhood background most likely isn’t as fortunate as most other children. Most of these juveniles that are convicted tend to come from broken homes. Their fathers are usually away serving time in prison; their mothers might even be heavy drug users. The lack of a role model in their lives has a tremendous influence on how they make decisions and what kind of path they follow later in life. Gymlife123.
I agree that having the juvenile sit in jail for life with no parole is not going to accomplish anything. They should be given the opportunity to prove themselves that they can change as a human and do good for society. I also agree that the background of the juvenile can have a huge impact on how the view the world around them. Not everyone is fortunate enough to grow up with loving parents to help guide them down the right path in life. Most of those convicting had parents struggling with their own problems. Sunshine123
I agree that most juveniles should receive a second chance. I think it depends on the motived of the crime committed, the improvements that have been made since the crime committed, and the severity of the crime that was committed when they were a juvenile. Although they were young and dumb and not yet matured, I think that there are cases when the individual should be put away for good. gh_blackhawks123
While watching the documentary my thoughts were extremely conflicted. I do believe that everyone deserves a second chance. However, I have never personally had to deal with such a horrid circumstance were someone in my life had been murdered. When hearing the pain in the parent’s voice explaining their thoughts on having to deal with the man who killed their son get out of jail it made me think of things in a different light. I go back and forth on how I feel about giving them another chance because with evidence that as a young adult the mind is not fully developed it makes you feel that people can mature and regret their choices as much teens experience. A reoccurring theme that was brought up during the parole hearings was that the they didn’t even think about how the person they are killing had a family of their own and a life of their own. Sociologist state that there is a crime curve that levels off the older a person is because they have grown up and view the world differently than a young child. In Anthony Rolon’s case it was an important to explain the life he grew up with. Dealing with bullying in his neighborhood because his mother did harmful drugs. He explained that he had a lot of built up anger which is understandable in the environment in which he was raised. It is interesting to hear that people who did get released never broke their parole. This gives some proof that people can change when given time to think about how much of an affect their actions have on other people. I believe people can change, however, we should not be releasing ever juvenile who was sentenced to life with no parole. Their background and type of crime committed should be closely examined. Sunshine123
I was also very conflicted on my thoughts. And their childhood is a very important factor to show and foresee what kind of kid they will grow up to be and turn into. For a kid and or pretty much any person one of the biggest factors on how you act is your environment because us as humans we are mainly followers because we all think "oh well that won't and or can't happen to me" but anything can happen to anyone. NDIrish123.
While watching this documentary I was torn between both decisions and it gives two very good points. Which are should we give these people a second chance or not. I do believe in giving people second chances especially kids but there is also a very fine line on who should have a second chance and who shouldn't. Yes if we put them in prison for the murder they committed or whatever crime it may me some kids may actually mature and may become decent adults say the least. But others and more than likely they will just end up back in prison and committing crimes all over again not because they are bad people and intend to do that, but its because that's the only life they know. They won't be able to get a job or any major things in life that allow us to live so they will slip back into the only way they know how to live and that would be crime. I completely understand why some of the kids turn out this way in today's society. Not necessarily the crimes but how they are trouble makers and why they are. Do to a poor childhood, drugs, domestic issues at home the list goes on and that is sad to see kids have to grow up in that environment but no kid and nobody should be pushed to the point where they go out and kill their parents or just some innocent person. I would say the parole boards that hear these cases that has to be one of the hardest jobs ever because someone's fate is in your hands and as I said earlier there is a very fine and thin line on who we should let out and not let go. And that line has yet to be determined. NDIrish123.
I agree that a lot of juveniles behaviors start from their home life. I am not saying all, but most kids who grow up in a bad home life tend to repeat the same behaviors and people that they are surrounded by daily. Before they know it, they are locked up at 14,15,16 years old. Unless they murder someone in self-defense, there really is no excuse to murder someone in cold blood, no matter how old. They are taking a life of someone, that's a choice that can't be undone. -PizzaLover123
We have all made mistakes in our youth. While most of us learn from these mistakes, some of us don't. This is the crises faced with many legislators and courts alike. At what extent to we punish someone eighteen or younger for committing a crime let alone a "Mala in se" crime or violent crime? Therefore, when people like seventeen year old Joe Donavan get sentenced life for participating in murder ethical questions can be raised. Some offenders deserve to be locked up for their natural life depending on the severity and type of crime. However, the Supreme Court ruled that kids should get a chance at release or parole at some point in their sentencing. This is largely due to the idea that people of youth can and do change or mature over the course of their lives. It appears, with this ruling, that we are heading in the right direction in trying to offer second chances to those who were incarcerated at a young age. There are over 2,000 convicted murderers serving life who were incarcerated as minors and these cases were deemed unconstitutional as well. We can contribute many of today's incarcerated youth to the war on drugs back in the late 80's and early 90's when a significant increase in crime among youth was noticed. Due to the rise in juvenile crime many youth have been incarcerated over the years and among them many are serving life sentences. It is my belief and hope that we work to release those who may have changed over the years while keeping a watchful eye on those who could be considered at risk of recidivating. People do change over time and this is especially apparent with the youth of our nation. Just like when most of us were young, we made mistakes and we eventually learned from them in one way or another. Ghost123
I totally agree with you because we all do definitely make mistakes. But, a murder is a very big mistake to commit. Yes, they should get parole but, parole should not be offered until about 5 to six years into their sentencing. I feel like if you offer parole right then and there you are giving them the okay to do something so bad and not giving them a consequence for it. A mistake as a youth is like copying someone paper to pass, murdering someone is not a mistake. If you murder someone it is very much intentionally. WS123
I agree with you because we have all made mistakes in out life. The only things it when someone commits a murder it a mistake that might not be able to fix. Offering parole is a a good idea but it should not be offered right away or the person is basically is going to get away with murder type of thing. Murder can not be justified as a mistake, murder is most likely intentionally unless it is known as self defense ridden or ect. Smile123
Yes I agree with you 100% Nobody is perfect even if you want them to be. People learn from their mistakes but sometimes you will need help to learn from them. I think you should forgive the people who made mistakes and let them make it right. As long as they are willing to prove to you, they know what they did was wrong. I also feel if they admit to the crime and apologize for his/hers actions then yea. Some criminals are not the same as they were before they learned from their mistakes. pizza123
I feel like anyone at the age of 15 and up should be charged as an adult if they do a very bad crime. Why shouldn’t you have to do the time if you do a heinous crime. No I don't think that a teenager should get life in prison because they still have their whole life ahead of them. But, if a teenager just so happen to murder someone they should get a good amount of time in prison. I feel like five to ten years is enough time to be incarcerated to do some thinking. In the video the experts were basically saying that most adolescents do heinous crimes because of their background. Just because your mother is a drug addict or your father is a drug dealer does not give you the right to just go out and kill someone. In Anthony case he was saying that he murder the man because he was angry at his mother and because he didn’t have a good relationship with his mom. At the time he was 16 when he committed the crime. Life in prison should never be for the first offense. Yes, he was wrong for just going out and murdering an innocent boy. I feel like he should have gotten 10 years for the first offense. The video was really stressing that most teenagers do these crime because they don’t have a perfect relationship with their family. Why is that an excuse to go out and just murder someone because mommy and daddy doesn’t love you like you want them to. As for the eleven year old that beat and robbed his neighbor. He should have gotten a lengthy sentence because he was in the wrong. But, life in prison is not fair because at eleven you should be able to have a life still. You are just now starting to begin your teenage years. The young man excuse was that his mom was on drugs and that is why he did it. The neighbor was his mother’s drug dealer. WS123
I agree with you that at the age of 15 you should start getting charged as an adult. Murder is murder and everyone knows that it is a heinous crime and knows what the consequences are. Being held accountable for you actions needs to be done but I do believe there comes a time when they have done enough time and should have a chance at parole and a second chance at life. People change over time. I also think that if through your time being incarcerated if you have been nothing but trouble and have not tried to prove yourself you don't really deserve a second chance. UofM123
I agree with you agree with you completely the the should be treated as an adult as soon as 15. For the reason that they can get a permit to drive and work. With responsibilities you gain more consequences. jeeper123
I agree that the juveniles that commit these crimes should get a long sentence I believe up to 20 years is very fair. An adult is a person who is fully grown and developed, children are not adults which means they cannot think like adults, so they should not; in my opinion, be charged as adults. I do agree that no matter what your background is you are not excused from the law or abiding the rules. I have seen people who come from a horrible background make the best of the resources they are given and take the right path. -Zar123
While watching this video, I noticed that the main point of this video was that once you screw your life up once you will most likely not be getting a second chance to live with the outside world. When I heard the story of the seventeen year old juvenile who got life by just punching the student in the face, it made me think that just because you may not be the one doing the killing or illegal activity you will still have to face the consequences just for being apart of the activity. In the video some say that the people who are to blame are the ones who say crime rates are rising, so throw all of them in jail. I feel like this is true because then a lot of people just wanted to try and get rid of the gangs, so throwing the younger members in jail would possibly help. While watching, I noticed that most of the juveniles who were being convicted came from families who had only a mother or they have parents who do drugs, or they might be drug dealers themselves. I think that most of the decisions made by these juveniles are based on how they are treated by their parents or how they are treated by others, especially if they are in a gang. When most of these juveniles grow up in jail they realize just how bad the crimes were and then they realize what they have actually done. I feel like these juveniles who are in prison for life do not get the chance to become the person they intend to be and they never get the chance to be around others and experience life outside of those walls, and once some of them do get out they may not know how to act in public or society, so they go back to a life of crime and are put back in jail. Illini123
Part of this video makes a point of emphasizing that the actions of our childhood are not necessarily the path that we are stuck on for the entirety of our lives; however, I think that this consideration should be a case-to-case decision. If a teenager committed homicide, and has served a substantial amount of time in prison, I think that there should be a possibility that they get released, as long as thorough evaluation is done, and that there is strong evidence of change in the individual. The reason that I believe this is different that the same type of situation, but in the case of an adult, is because young minors do not yet have their lives figured out, they are not matured yet, and have little to no life experience in the real world in that point in their life yet. Therefore, I believe that there should be some mercy given to such individuals, to a certain extent of course. For example, if a teenager committed murder, say at the age of 15, and the crime was committed as a crime of passion (sudden impulse of anger, rager, or jealousy due to the actions of or to someone extremely close to them,) then there should be a little bit more mercy given to this individual. If you take the same 15 year old individual and the crime was committed as part of an armed heist, and the individual planned out the attack, brutally killing an innocent and unexpecting citizen, I believe that their chances should be substantially lower than the previous individual discussed; however, I do not think that they should be ignored and have zero possibility of a second chance in the free world. Everyone makes mistakes in their early life, but sometimes the severity of said mistakes makes a huge, and potentially permanent mark on their future. gh_blackhawks123
I completely agree with what you just said. I like the way that if someone for instance committed a crime out of pure aggression, and have spent so many years in prison that they should be looked at first and have a better shot of getting parole. But also like you said if the individual actually planned the murder and so on. They should have a very less of a chance to get the chance to be even looked at by the parole board. But I also believe that they were all young kids when they committed these crimes, they should all at least be looked at. Trojan65
I completely agree with both sides of this video. On the one side people were saying that juveniles that committed a crime in the past and got life sentences for it should eventually get the chance to have parole. I agree with that side because people can change no matter how horrific the past was. Also on the other side though the juveniles as they are put in prison at such a young age and said they will never get out, could potentially get way more violent. The juvenile could believe that this is their life now and that nothing matters anymore. So why would they even try to better themselves if they have a life sentence and are told that prison is where they will spend the rest of their lives. I believe it all depends on the person in the case. Also, how horrible the crime was. If the convict through the years in prison showed that they were actually maturing through the years. Then I believe they could have a shot. But only if the parole board looks at the whole span of the person’s life in the prison. They would probably start off in prison getting in fights and causing trouble. But I would look at the whole span of it and see if they stopped getting into fights over a certain period of time and then I would say after they proved themselves they should be ready for parole. There are also the special cases I believe that should not be granted parole. Like first degree murder to a degree. I feel like that should be more looked into on how violent the murder was and like I said before, if the person matured while in prison or not. Also I believe there are the cases just like Joe Donovan who shouldn’t of even got sentenced to life in prison for just being there and throwing a punch. Trojan65
I think this video is presenting that the choices minors make often have consequences that they are either unaware of or think they are invincible to. The video also sends the message that you always need to think about what you do before you do it because you don’t always know what the outcome could be. Everyone including minors makes mistakes no one is perfect by any means. It does not matter what background you come from good, bad, poor, rich whatever the case is everyone has done something "wrong" or made a mistake whether you are an adult or a minor. I personally do not think that murdering someone when you are a teenager is something you are doing without knowing the consequences. It is very easy to find an excuse or reason as to why you committed a crime, but somehow and some way you have to be held accountable for your actions. Getting into a fist fight and brutally stabbing or shooting someone are very different scenarios. I do believe in second chances and that anyone should be able to prove they want to change or that they have changed. I would have to agree that most people deserve a chance at parole and a second chance at life depending on the crime committed. People change, it is a part of life, everyone's life. Learning right from wrong in life often comes with learning from your mistakes. Some with heavier consequences than others. If whatever crime that is being done is done to someone close to you such as family or close friend you would want them to be held accountable right? While more times than not if you were on the other side you would want someone to see that you made a mistake and to possibly give you another chance. UofM123
I understand both sides on how people would feel about this situation. Regardless, it would be hard to be the parents of the victims in these crimes but it would also be hard to be the judge in these cases. Even though most of these men were considered juveniles at the time of the crimes, I do believe they deserve to serve out a sentence but I also don't think some of them should have gotten life without parole. I do believe people change but unfortunately, their decisions got them to where they are today and that's the truth about life. Correctional facilities are to help rehabilitate people to become a better person and to learn from their mistakes, not to just keep them locked up forever. As I said, I do believe some of the cases shown in the video deserve a second chance while others seem to be cold blooded killers that premeditated their crimes. -PizzaLover123
I agree, the parents play a big role in a child's life. Teenagers go based off what their parents taught them. I know that its hard when your parents don't be there for you or give you the right attention. I also agree with you saying it is hard for the judges because they cant go based off how they grew up, they have to go based off the crime the teenager did. sometimes the system can be unfair when it comes to sentencing and the fact that Joe got sentenced life without parole for punching someone was really unfair and he do deserve a second chance because he did the when he was young. - BABYBLUE123
This video made the choice of giving juveniles a second chance or not a hard call. I know everyone does make a dumb mistake in their life, while they are young. While I do believe everyone deserves a second chance it doesn’t mean a capital offence should be excused because of age especially since they are under the age of 18 or 17. My opinion of this should be at the age of 15, because by then you are already are making up your mind on your own. Plus you can join the work force, start a career. I do understand that not everyone has had the best childhood and we as a community or country need to address the source of these juvenile crimes instead of just blaming helpless kids put in horrible situations. The justice system needs to understand how a childhood can destroy or prosper a person. A lot of the crimes these specific kids featured in the video probably committed their crime(s) to showboat to their elders, friends, family, gangs, etc. or whomever they looked up to or wanted to impress. Which I do think feel for them that their situation isn’t the best in the beginning. When it comes down to it the law does not go by background or experiences but by the black letters on the paper. Jeeper123
I agree with your statements and your evaluation of the situation. But I do think they do take all those situations into account if not during trial but at their deserved parole hearings. At the time of their sentencing there wasn't the option presented to the judge and jury that allowed for a special consideration till the supreme court made their rulings giving them that option. Most first degree murder trials give only the definition of life without parole before moving to second degree murder. But even then some courts do not allow you to go after the lower murder charges if you charge for first degree. -M24Ninja
This video was a powerful inside look to a prisoner sentenced to life when they were only a teenager or child. It showed how change and maturity can come with age and people won’t always think the same way as adults like when they were children. Often, the kid could have just not known any better or just made stupid mistakes that led from one bad result to the next. Part of me has weird feelings about that concept mainly because I feel that at a certain age, kids should understand and know the difference between right and wrong. Then again, the reasoning behind their lack of understanding might have come from childhood trauma, lack of parenting or influences from peers. It is true, like it was stated in the video, a child’s mind is not as developed as some adults and can easily be influenced by even the smallest of things. I felt bad for the families that went through finding out about the prisoners getting the chance for being released on parole but at the same time I was glad that there was a limit on how much punishment had been enough. They had not had a chance to even experience life and though their mistakes in the past would most likely haunt them for the rest of their life, at least they won’t die in prison like they originally feared. I understand the families pain about the situation but in my opinion, I feel that if it happened more than 20 or 30 years ago, they should let go at some point. The longer they hold onto the grudge against that person, the longer it’s going to hurt them. They say forgiving and forgetting is the best way to ease pain but honestly, they don’t need to forgive someone unless they choose too, but it could be beneficial to their own health if they just forget that person and live their life without that grudge. I would feel that if I knew that the killer who spent much of life in prison and got was going to have to wake up every morning knowing what they did and having to live with themselves because of it, I would think that would be enough torture to endure. Nothing is more of a prison than the human mind. SomethingProfound123
I understand both sides on how people would feel about this situation. Regardless, it would be hard to be the parents of the victims in these crimes but it would also be hard to be the judge in these cases. Even though most of these men were considered juveniles at the time of the crimes, I do believe they deserve to serve out a sentence but I also don't think some of them should have gotten life without parole. I do believe people change but unfortunately, their decisions got them to where they are today and that's the truth about life. Correctional facilities are to help rehabilitate people to become a better person and to learn from their mistakes, not to just keep them locked up forever. As I said, I do believe some of the cases shown in the video deserve a second chance while others seem to be cold blooded killers that premeditated their crimes. I think that a lot of juvenile’s behaviors start from their home life. I am not saying all, but most kids who grow up in a bad home life such as living in poverty, not having their parents around, or have brother and sisters that get into a lot of trouble seem to repeat what goes on around them. It seems like juveniles tend to recurrence the same behaviors and follow the same patters as the people that they are surrounded by daily. Before they know it, they are locked up at 14,15,16 years old and continue to follow down that path of going in and out of jail and continue to do so for the rest of their life. In certain scenarios, I do believe that people deserve second chances at being a civilized human being and not just locked away for the rest of their lives like animals. No matter what, no one will be completely happy with the decisions that are to be made but if they truly learn their lesson and learn from their mistakes then I don’t see the sense in keeping them locked up. -PizzaLover123
What I think about this video is that when you are young some kids don’t think about things they do. They have friends or even family that makes them go the wrong way and do things they never thought they would do and of course we do them because we are young and think its cool. When commit a crime and get life in prison as a kid sometimes being in jail makes you think about things you’ve done such as taking another life. Sometimes you have no choice to change me watching a lot of prison shows or Cops it doesn’t look fun in there its so different from the outside world. Everyone deserves a second chance in life and just because your prison shouldn’t change that saying. Sometimes parents are a cause of children actions. Parents not being in their life and not teaching them the right way to act can be why they do bad things. Teenagers can get into the streets and the drug business so fast when they don’t have a good childhood or even a father figure. Father figures play a big role in teenager’s life because they look up to their fathers the most and follow their footsteps. Anthony’s father was dealing drugs with him and showing him the ways to be in the streets and his mother was doing drugs which he knew but didn’t see her doing it. He had no choice but to grow up either doing drugs or selling drugs cause that’s all he knew and what he been around. Sometimes the law choices are unfair and I say this because Joe went to prison because he punched someone but didn’t the guy. Why should he get life in prison without parole when he wasn’t the one that murdered the college student? Yes I understand he shouldn’t have done what he did but he didn’t do the worse part to be in prison for life. Second chances play a big role in life. -Babyblue123
The video shows the worst parts of the grey area of dealing with juveniles when they commit serious crimes. I feel the older teenagers get, it becomes more wishy-washy of how the individual will be treated. The younger you are the more of a chance you will be treated as a minor but when you near that magical barrier of 18 and you can often find yourself getting charged as an adult depending on the severity. I believe that juveniles need to be judged on a case by case basis on serious crimes as not all children are through their mental development at that time. If a crime is serious enough I think they should get life in prison, but with that said they should have a chance of parole. Juveniles should be given a chance to redeem themselves from the crimes committed as a legal minor. I believe that no person is totally irredeemable but adults do have a requirement of full penance for their crimes. I think the Supreme Court managed to get this decision right for once. As for each individual we saw in the video I think they were treated exactly as they should have been. With the laws that were in place at the time there wasn't any real expectation of different outcome. I do think the Supreme Court retroactively allowing for older cases to be opened for parole was the right choice as our Constitution allows us to fix problems with the laws for better or worse. I think over time we will come up with the proper way to punish and rehabilitate juveniles but this video is just showing how far we've come not how bad we are. -M24Ninja
Sometimes we do things that we regret, I know I have ! I've done things that I'd regret right after I did them, I said I would never do those things ever again and I never did them again.; so I totally understand these juveniles. I believe that some children do not know better and some children do know better. I think that people should be charged as adults in their mid twenties early thirties; (when the brain is fully developed). I believe that people do change and sometimes we do things while we are young because we don't think about the consequences. When you put children in prison they can develope into life long criminals because of the prisons environment. Charging children as adults will lead to more criminals in the world because the children will grow up and commit more serious crimes. I believe that giving juveniles a chance of parole after fifteen years is very constitutional I know the victims' families want the criminals to be put away forever; but I think it is important to forgive people, especially if the brain wasn't fully developed at the time. From personal experience of losing a loved one at the hands of someone else I know how hard it is to forgive people, but once you realize the persons brain wasn't even fully developed it is a little harder to keep a grudge. I believe juveniles should serve at least fifteen years but no more than twenty years if they kill someone but I think life without parole for a juvenile is unconstitutional. Sometimes the juveniles home life has a huge impact on how they act outside of their home. If someone doesn't come from a stable household it could be hard for them to live a stable life. I believe that children who come from these unstable homes have the ability to change and they are not a lost cause so I do not believe that if they do something wrong they should be sent away for life. After these juveniles (now adults) are released on parole I believe they should be monitored for at least five years and if they go back to their old way; they should go back to prison, if they have changed they should stay out and be able to live their lives. Overall, I do believe it is unfair to think "once a criminal, always a criminal" giving juveniles life without parole is basically saying that. -Zar123
While watching the Juvenile Crime Documentary, I realized how bad young teenagers were during the 80’s and 90’s. It was so bad that some teens were getting life sentences at just 17 years of age. Some people thought the violence would keep going until maybe 2005. During the late 90’s it stopped. Almost 20 years after two juveniles were sentenced to life without parole, they were granted the right to talk to the parole board to try to get a second chance at life. Most of the time if a juvenile commits a serious crime like murder, it’s a good chance that he/she has personal stuff going on in their life that they don’t like and want to keep inside. While keeping their angry built inside, it only makes them worse. Then that one incident comes along that pushes them to the edge and makes them do something that they would regret later in life. In the story of Anthony Roland, he killed another youngman because, in my opinion he was stressed out. His mother was on crack and his father sold drugs. His life was rough coming up and he just got pushed to the point where he couldn’t control himself anymore. After 20 years he wants a second chance because he thinks he has changed since the incident. After 20 years in jail, i’m pretty sure that you learn that you made a bad mistake, took somebody’s life, somebody’s child and you just want a second chance at your life. The parole board granted Roland his parole and gave him a second chance. When you are young, you make dumb decisions that can mess you and someone else’s whole life up. It’s about if you deserve a second chance. A life beyond the jail yard. Green123
While watching the video one thing that was the main point of the video was that the things we do as kids/teenagers does not define who we are going to be as adults. Kids do a lot of stupid things in their teenage years mostly because they think that they are invincible and that their actions will have no consequences. Unfortunately for many teenagers, the things they decide to do often have major consequences, as is the case for everyone shown in the video. They were kids when they committed their crimes, often times if was murder that they had committed and were serving life without parole for it. As stated by many of the people in the video, they are no longer the same person that they were when they had committed the crime, they have grown as many of us have and are better people. Kids often times do things that they may not know are wrong because they're young and are still learning. In my opinion every person deserves a second chance especially if they are young because they may not have known what they were doing at the time. however it is pretty easy to know that hurting another human being and/or killing them is pretty bad, even kids should know that. Where do we draw the line and say even though you were young you still should have know that what you were doing was very bad. It is a very hard topic to talk about especially when kids are involved in it. Teenagers are very vulnerable to making mistakes in their lives, but that's how you learn in life, is by making mistakes and learning from those mistakes what to do and what not to do in life. These people were never given a second chance and they had to learn from their mistake in prison their whole life, people like this deserve a second chance at getting things right, much like the second chances all of us were granted when we made mistakes in our child/young adulthood. Pack123
ReplyDeleteI agree with some of what you said but I had mixed feelings about the video. I believe that people need to be held accountable for if they take another life and the families forced to endure the pain they caused should see justice but at the same time, I feel that with the age the crimes were committed, they at some point should reach the limit of when the punishment has been enough. It’s very true, and was indeed shown in the video that people grow up and mentality changes over time. I think that though the families were suffering at the release of the criminals, they should not harbor too much on something that happened more than twenty years ago and realize that the punishment has been paid and more will come throughout their lives as life goes on. SomethingProfound123
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ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video one thing that I think was the main point is that not everybody gets a second chance, but stating in the video when you're a teenager the actions you did won't define you in your adult life. For example we all know teenagers do stupid things thinking they will get away with it until they eventually get caught. That also means if they can learn from those mistakes they deserve to get another chance then to be sent to prison for the rest of there lives. Most times kids get caught up in crime without analyzing the consequences that could occur. I believe in the video it basically states that teenagers have much greater potential for reform than adults do; in many cases young people are going to age out of the behavior that leads into crimes. Our laws I believe should still recognize that they are capable of redemption and reform. It is hard to say though if a kid commits murder and they would be serving life without no parole, it may be hard for the court system to think that they could turn them self’s around if they have had many counts on them. As stated by the video though, many people in the video are not the same person that they were when the crime happened, they are no longer that person they are a different. I believe that everybody deserves a second chance but on the other hand I understand is if you let a kid go, they still might go out in life and commit more crimes. I understand they are young and have so much more to life but, you never know if they are going to change their life around. In the end I will say everyone could be considered to have a second chance in life because they should be able to a chance to make things right. Everyone makes mistakes in life so harder than others but nobody is perfect. Smile123
ReplyDeleteSure not everyone gets a second chance, but the Supreme Court decided to give life sentence juveniles one. It makes sense for the court to arrive upon this verdict because quite frankly juveniles probably were not fully aware at the time of their offenses. Our justice system needs to be more understanding of the things that pushed these young men and women to commit their crime(s). Chances are, they came from terrible backgrounds where they had to fight to survive in their daily lives. We as a country need to develop a better rehab system that will allow these criminal kids to become functioning and effective members of society. Some should be allowed this privilege while others should not due to their mental status, etc. There has to be a comprehensive evaluation as to whether or not the juvenile has fully comprehended their crime and will be able to continue throughout their life without committing a single crime. A no tolerance law should be in effect for these offenders who are given another chance at life. This is to ensure that they will be headed back to prison for any substantial crime they may commit in the future. Second chances are great, but we need to be extremely careful as a nation as to whom we give them to. Fireboy123
DeleteThe video presents split sides to the argument of whether juvenile offenders should deserve a second chance at life after their crime(s). Some kids are put into a terrible childhood that provides them nothing, but darkness. This is not fair by any means, as many kids are given great childhoods, where they don't have to fight for their lives' everyday. Some kids don't get that option as they are placed into terrible situations such as living in the ghetto or being exposed to drug dealing. You can not blame the kid when their deadbeat parent's raise or not raise them to be a certain way. The lack of parental responsibility is most likely the cause of the juvenile crimes. We as a community or country need to address the source of these juvenile crimes instead of just blaming helpless kids put in horrible situations. The justice system needs to understand how a childhood can destroy or prosper a person. A lot of the crimes these specific kids featured in the video probably committed their crime(s) to showboat to their elders, friends, family, gangs, etc. or whomever they looked up to or wanted to impress. The fact that courts' refuse to accept this common knowledge is almost as bad as the crimes that were committed. The juvenile brain does not fully develop until the 20's, so how can you expect a juvenile to differentiate between extreme right and wrong when they have very limited life experiences. This is especially prevalent when a majority or all of these life experiences are bad. The mistakes that these kids made are most likely a result of their childhood experiences/situation, therefore most need rehab and yes some prison time. Dependent on how much the kid has changed since when the crime was committed and their sentencing should determine how much longer they should stay in prison. The courts' wise judgement should be used to determine whether a juvenile is 'really' changed from the time they committed the crime(s) and if they deserve to be released from prison or their sentence reduced. Now there are some cases where juveniles should be punished with life in prison and that is to be decided by every individual court system. For our justice system to be effective towards juvenile crimes, the situations that these juveniles encountered shall always be considered into sentencing. Fireboy123
ReplyDeleteWhat I think about this video is that miners do need a second chances. Everybody makes mistakes at least once in their lifetime. Nobody is perfect even if you want them to be. People learn from their mistakes but sometimes you will need help to learn from them. I think you should forgive the people who made mistakes and let them make it right. As long as they are willing to prove to you, they know what they did was wrong. I also feel if they admit to the crime and apologize for his/hers actions then yea. Some criminals are not the same as they were before they learned from their mistakes. I understand that some people are afraid to have them back in their neighborhood. If you were in there shoes you will want another chance. Yes, there are some stupid teens out there that let other kids talk the into doing stupid stuff as they go to jail for the crime that they had commented they have time to sit and think what they had done what they could had done to not be in the situations there in now. They grow from there mistake and know what to do now. Some teens grow up in that type of environment in think what they did was ok but as over time they see it’s not. Just because they had committed this crime does mean that they are bed people, we don’t even know what state of mind some of these teens are in as they are committing these crimes. All am trying to say is that yes I’m on bored to giving people second chances teens will be teens but as they get older they learn and grow from stupid stuff they have done in the pass. Everyone need a second chance to prove themselves. PIZZA123
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and saying that minors do often deserve a second chance especially because they are still learning and growing and developing. They often do not have any idea of the consequences their actions will have and I believe that they should be given a second chance in cases such as the ones shown in the video because they are still very young and have no idea of the magnitude the consequences of their mistakes can be. Pack123
DeleteI agree that young people do need second chances especially if they are willing to prove that they know how and are willing to turn their lives around. If juveniles are willing to go out and find jobs or straighten their lives out then I think we should help them, not just lock them up for life. If they get locked up for life and do not have the opportunity to get a steady job then they may be willing to go back to a life of crime. Illini123
DeleteMy thoughts on this video is what some things you do in your teenage years does not define you as an adult. As teenagers, we are more likely to make a bad decision because we are not mature enough to make a good decision and realize the difference from right or wrong. People deserve second chances but it also depends on how horrible the crime is. I understand if they grew up in a violent environment and nobody taught them right from wrong, but one day they have to see thats how you can't be in life and its wrong. Everyone is going to make a mistake that they aren't proud of and going to mess up, but I believe that they should have a chance to make it right. With this being said, its also not bad for a teenager to go to prison for a crime. This could help a person grow as an adult down the road and realize the decision they made and how much it has affected people around him. I believe that teenagers do deserve a second chance, but they also need some jail time because they need to think about what they did so they can grow and learn to become a more civilized adult. More teenagers need to realize the difference between right from wrong but that wont happen till actions are taking to prevent teenagers from murdering someone or doing a crime that can mess up they're life.
ReplyDeleteCavs123
DeleteI agree with you that juveniles do deserve a second chance, but only after they have been incarcerated after a certain length of time. Depending on how severe their act of violence was, they definitely should be allowed a second chance. Their mental maturity is not as high as that of an adult at the time of their crime. I do believe that with time for them to mature and come to know right and wrong, these juveniles should be given second chances. Gymlife123.
DeleteThis is the classic nature versus nurture comparison, and at a young age it can be extremely hard to separate the two when it comes to criminal tendencies. Furthermore, incarcerating juveniles while some times necessary can have devastating effects on that persons future. Once released that inmate can look forward to an increased challenge of finding a job, benefits, and even housing. While violent offenses need to be punished severely non-violent offenses should be punished more so with intermediate sanctions such as probations before incarceration. Ghost123
DeleteShould juveniles be granted a second chance after being convicted of such heinous acts of violence once they have had the time to mature and become remorseful of their actions? That is the big question that this video magnifies for us. Most of these juveniles, yes, I believe do deserve a second chance because of two main reasons: The first reason being the problem with mass incarceration in our country. What are we really accomplishing here if somebody got into a fight with another person when they were a teenager and killed that person out of an impulse reaction, denying them parole even if they are truly remorseful of their act and it was not premeditated? Nothing will be fixed or changed if they continue to sit in prison for the rest of their natural life because of a dumb decision that they made as a child. That person was not yet at a full level of mental maturity when they committed that crime, so there is the possibility that they can ‘grow up’ and realize the consequences during their incarceration. In the 2010 Supreme Court case Graham v. Florida, it was ruled that a state is not required to guarantee eventual freedom to a juvenile offender; however, it did require a meaningful opportunity to obtain release based on demonstrated maturity and rehabilitation. The second reason I believe juveniles should be granted second chances is that their childhood background most likely isn’t as fortunate as most other children. Most of these juveniles that are convicted tend to come from broken homes. Their fathers are usually away serving time in prison; their mothers might even be heavy drug users. The lack of a role model in their lives has a tremendous influence on how they make decisions and what kind of path they follow later in life. Gymlife123.
ReplyDeleteI agree that having the juvenile sit in jail for life with no parole is not going to accomplish anything. They should be given the opportunity to prove themselves that they can change as a human and do good for society. I also agree that the background of the juvenile can have a huge impact on how the view the world around them. Not everyone is fortunate enough to grow up with loving parents to help guide them down the right path in life. Most of those convicting had parents struggling with their own problems. Sunshine123
DeleteI agree that most juveniles should receive a second chance. I think it depends on the motived of the crime committed, the improvements that have been made since the crime committed, and the severity of the crime that was committed when they were a juvenile. Although they were young and dumb and not yet matured, I think that there are cases when the individual should be put away for good. gh_blackhawks123
DeleteWhile watching the documentary my thoughts were extremely conflicted. I do believe that everyone deserves a second chance. However, I have never personally had to deal with such a horrid circumstance were someone in my life had been murdered. When hearing the pain in the parent’s voice explaining their thoughts on having to deal with the man who killed their son get out of jail it made me think of things in a different light. I go back and forth on how I feel about giving them another chance because with evidence that as a young adult the mind is not fully developed it makes you feel that people can mature and regret their choices as much teens experience. A reoccurring theme that was brought up during the parole hearings was that the they didn’t even think about how the person they are killing had a family of their own and a life of their own. Sociologist state that there is a crime curve that levels off the older a person is because they have grown up and view the world differently than a young child. In Anthony Rolon’s case it was an important to explain the life he grew up with. Dealing with bullying in his neighborhood because his mother did harmful drugs. He explained that he had a lot of built up anger which is understandable in the environment in which he was raised. It is interesting to hear that people who did get released never broke their parole. This gives some proof that people can change when given time to think about how much of an affect their actions have on other people. I believe people can change, however, we should not be releasing ever juvenile who was sentenced to life with no parole. Their background and type of crime committed should be closely examined. Sunshine123
ReplyDeleteI was also very conflicted on my thoughts. And their childhood is a very important factor to show and foresee what kind of kid they will grow up to be and turn into. For a kid and or pretty much any person one of the biggest factors on how you act is your environment because us as humans we are mainly followers because we all think "oh well that won't and or can't happen to me" but anything can happen to anyone. NDIrish123.
DeleteWhile watching this documentary I was torn between both decisions and it gives two very good points. Which are should we give these people a second chance or not. I do believe in giving people second chances especially kids but there is also a very fine line on who should have a second chance and who shouldn't. Yes if we put them in prison for the murder they committed or whatever crime it may me some kids may actually mature and may become decent adults say the least. But others and more than likely they will just end up back in prison and committing crimes all over again not because they are bad people and intend to do that, but its because that's the only life they know. They won't be able to get a job or any major things in life that allow us to live so they will slip back into the only way they know how to live and that would be crime. I completely understand why some of the kids turn out this way in today's society. Not necessarily the crimes but how they are trouble makers and why they are. Do to a poor childhood, drugs, domestic issues at home the list goes on and that is sad to see kids have to grow up in that environment but no kid and nobody should be pushed to the point where they go out and kill their parents or just some innocent person. I would say the parole boards that hear these cases that has to be one of the hardest jobs ever because someone's fate is in your hands and as I said earlier there is a very fine and thin line on who we should let out and not let go. And that line has yet to be determined. NDIrish123.
ReplyDeleteI agree that a lot of juveniles behaviors start from their home life. I am not saying all, but most kids who grow up in a bad home life tend to repeat the same behaviors and people that they are surrounded by daily. Before they know it, they are locked up at 14,15,16 years old. Unless they murder someone in self-defense, there really is no excuse to murder someone in cold blood, no matter how old. They are taking a life of someone, that's a choice that can't be undone.
Delete-PizzaLover123
We have all made mistakes in our youth. While most of us learn from these mistakes, some of us don't. This is the crises faced with many legislators and courts alike. At what extent to we punish someone eighteen or younger for committing a crime let alone a "Mala in se" crime or violent crime? Therefore, when people like seventeen year old Joe Donavan get sentenced life for participating in murder ethical questions can be raised. Some offenders deserve to be locked up for their natural life depending on the severity and type of crime. However, the Supreme Court ruled that kids should get a chance at release or parole at some point in their sentencing. This is largely due to the idea that people of youth can and do change or mature over the course of their lives. It appears, with this ruling, that we are heading in the right direction in trying to offer second chances to those who were incarcerated at a young age. There are over 2,000 convicted murderers serving life who were incarcerated as minors and these cases were deemed unconstitutional as well. We can contribute many of today's incarcerated youth to the war on drugs back in the late 80's and early 90's when a significant increase in crime among youth was noticed. Due to the rise in juvenile crime many youth have been incarcerated over the years and among them many are serving life sentences. It is my belief and hope that we work to release those who may have changed over the years while keeping a watchful eye on those who could be considered at risk of recidivating. People do change over time and this is especially apparent with the youth of our nation. Just like when most of us were young, we made mistakes and we eventually learned from them in one way or another. Ghost123
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you because we all do definitely make mistakes. But, a murder is a very big mistake to commit. Yes, they should get parole but, parole should not be offered until about 5 to six years into their sentencing. I feel like if you offer parole right then and there you are giving them the okay to do something so bad and not giving them a consequence for it. A mistake as a youth is like copying someone paper to pass, murdering someone is not a mistake. If you murder someone it is very much intentionally. WS123
DeleteI agree with you because we have all made mistakes in out life. The only things it when someone commits a murder it a mistake that might not be able to fix. Offering parole is a a good idea but it should not be offered right away or the person is basically is going to get away with murder type of thing. Murder can not be justified as a mistake, murder is most likely intentionally unless it is known as self defense ridden or ect. Smile123
DeleteYes I agree with you 100% Nobody is perfect even if you want them to be. People learn from their mistakes but sometimes you will need help to learn from them. I think you should forgive the people who made mistakes and let them make it right. As long as they are willing to prove to you, they know what they did was wrong. I also feel if they admit to the crime and apologize for his/hers actions then yea. Some criminals are not the same as they were before they learned from their mistakes. pizza123
DeleteI feel like anyone at the age of 15 and up should be charged as an adult if they do a very bad crime. Why shouldn’t you have to do the time if you do a heinous crime. No I don't think that a teenager should get life in prison because they still have their whole life ahead of them. But, if a teenager just so happen to murder someone they should get a good amount of time in prison. I feel like five to ten years is enough time to be incarcerated to do some thinking. In the video the experts were basically saying that most adolescents do heinous crimes because of their background. Just because your mother is a drug addict or your father is a drug dealer does not give you the right to just go out and kill someone. In Anthony case he was saying that he murder the man because he was angry at his mother and because he didn’t have a good relationship with his mom. At the time he was 16 when he committed the crime. Life in prison should never be for the first offense. Yes, he was wrong for just going out and murdering an innocent boy. I feel like he should have gotten 10 years for the first offense. The video was really stressing that most teenagers do these crime because they don’t have a perfect relationship with their family. Why is that an excuse to go out and just murder someone because mommy and daddy doesn’t love you like you want them to. As for the eleven year old that beat and robbed his neighbor. He should have gotten a lengthy sentence because he was in the wrong. But, life in prison is not fair because at eleven you should be able to have a life still. You are just now starting to begin your teenage years. The young man excuse was that his mom was on drugs and that is why he did it. The neighbor was his mother’s drug dealer. WS123
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that at the age of 15 you should start getting charged as an adult. Murder is murder and everyone knows that it is a heinous crime and knows what the consequences are. Being held accountable for you actions needs to be done but I do believe there comes a time when they have done enough time and should have a chance at parole and a second chance at life. People change over time. I also think that if through your time being incarcerated if you have been nothing but trouble and have not tried to prove yourself you don't really deserve a second chance. UofM123
DeleteI agree with you agree with you completely the the should be treated as an adult as soon as 15. For the reason that they can get a permit to drive and work. With responsibilities you gain more consequences. jeeper123
DeleteI agree that the juveniles that commit these crimes should get a long sentence I believe up to 20 years is very fair. An adult is a person who is fully grown and developed, children are not adults which means they cannot think like adults, so they should not; in my opinion, be charged as adults. I do agree that no matter what your background is you are not excused from the law or abiding the rules. I have seen people who come from a horrible background make the best of the resources they are given and take the right path.
Delete-Zar123
While watching this video, I noticed that the main point of this video was that once you screw your life up once you will most likely not be getting a second chance to live with the outside world. When I heard the story of the seventeen year old juvenile who got life by just punching the student in the face, it made me think that just because you may not be the one doing the killing or illegal activity you will still have to face the consequences just for being apart of the activity. In the video some say that the people who are to blame are the ones who say crime rates are rising, so throw all of them in jail. I feel like this is true because then a lot of people just wanted to try and get rid of the gangs, so throwing the younger members in jail would possibly help. While watching, I noticed that most of the juveniles who were being convicted came from families who had only a mother or they have parents who do drugs, or they might be drug dealers themselves. I think that most of the decisions made by these juveniles are based on how they are treated by their parents or how they are treated by others, especially if they are in a gang. When most of these juveniles grow up in jail they realize just how bad the crimes were and then they realize what they have actually done. I feel like these juveniles who are in prison for life do not get the chance to become the person they intend to be and they never get the chance to be around others and experience life outside of those walls, and once some of them do get out they may not know how to act in public or society, so they go back to a life of crime and are put back in jail. Illini123
ReplyDeletePart of this video makes a point of emphasizing that the actions of our childhood are not necessarily the path that we are stuck on for the entirety of our lives; however, I think that this consideration should be a case-to-case decision. If a teenager committed homicide, and has served a substantial amount of time in prison, I think that there should be a possibility that they get released, as long as thorough evaluation is done, and that there is strong evidence of change in the individual. The reason that I believe this is different that the same type of situation, but in the case of an adult, is because young minors do not yet have their lives figured out, they are not matured yet, and have little to no life experience in the real world in that point in their life yet. Therefore, I believe that there should be some mercy given to such individuals, to a certain extent of course. For example, if a teenager committed murder, say at the age of 15, and the crime was committed as a crime of passion (sudden impulse of anger, rager, or jealousy due to the actions of or to someone extremely close to them,) then there should be a little bit more mercy given to this individual. If you take the same 15 year old individual and the crime was committed as part of an armed heist, and the individual planned out the attack, brutally killing an innocent and unexpecting citizen, I believe that their chances should be substantially lower than the previous individual discussed; however, I do not think that they should be ignored and have zero possibility of a second chance in the free world. Everyone makes mistakes in their early life, but sometimes the severity of said mistakes makes a huge, and potentially permanent mark on their future. gh_blackhawks123
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you just said. I like the way that if someone for instance committed a crime out of pure aggression, and have spent so many years in prison that they should be looked at first and have a better shot of getting parole. But also like you said if the individual actually planned the murder and so on. They should have a very less of a chance to get the chance to be even looked at by the parole board. But I also believe that they were all young kids when they committed these crimes, they should all at least be looked at. Trojan65
DeleteI completely agree with both sides of this video. On the one side people were saying that juveniles that committed a crime in the past and got life sentences for it should eventually get the chance to have parole. I agree with that side because people can change no matter how horrific the past was. Also on the other side though the juveniles as they are put in prison at such a young age and said they will never get out, could potentially get way more violent. The juvenile could believe that this is their life now and that nothing matters anymore. So why would they even try to better themselves if they have a life sentence and are told that prison is where they will spend the rest of their lives. I believe it all depends on the person in the case. Also, how horrible the crime was. If the convict through the years in prison showed that they were actually maturing through the years. Then I believe they could have a shot. But only if the parole board looks at the whole span of the person’s life in the prison. They would probably start off in prison getting in fights and causing trouble. But I would look at the whole span of it and see if they stopped getting into fights over a certain period of time and then I would say after they proved themselves they should be ready for parole. There are also the special cases I believe that should not be granted parole. Like first degree murder to a degree. I feel like that should be more looked into on how violent the murder was and like I said before, if the person matured while in prison or not. Also I believe there are the cases just like Joe Donovan who shouldn’t of even got sentenced to life in prison for just being there and throwing a punch. Trojan65
ReplyDeleteI think this video is presenting that the choices minors make often have consequences that they are either unaware of or think they are invincible to. The video also sends the message that you always need to think about what you do before you do it because you don’t always know what the outcome could be. Everyone including minors makes mistakes no one is perfect by any means. It does not matter what background you come from good, bad, poor, rich whatever the case is everyone has done something "wrong" or made a mistake whether you are an adult or a minor. I personally do not think that murdering someone when you are a teenager is something you are doing without knowing the consequences. It is very easy to find an excuse or reason as to why you committed a crime, but somehow and some way you have to be held accountable for your actions. Getting into a fist fight and brutally stabbing or shooting someone are very different scenarios. I do believe in second chances and that anyone should be able to prove they want to change or that they have changed. I would have to agree that most people deserve a chance at parole and a second chance at life depending on the crime committed. People change, it is a part of life, everyone's life. Learning right from wrong in life often comes with learning from your mistakes. Some with heavier consequences than others. If whatever crime that is being done is done to someone close to you such as family or close friend you would want them to be held accountable right? While more times than not if you were on the other side you would want someone to see that you made a mistake and to possibly give you another chance. UofM123
ReplyDeleteI understand both sides on how people would feel about this situation. Regardless, it would be hard to be the parents of the victims in these crimes but it would also be hard to be the judge in these cases. Even though most of these men were considered juveniles at the time of the crimes, I do believe they deserve to serve out a sentence but I also don't think some of them should have gotten life without parole. I do believe people change but unfortunately, their decisions got them to where they are today and that's the truth about life. Correctional facilities are to help rehabilitate people to become a better person and to learn from their mistakes, not to just keep them locked up forever. As I said, I do believe some of the cases shown in the video deserve a second chance while others seem to be cold blooded killers that premeditated their crimes.
ReplyDelete-PizzaLover123
I agree, the parents play a big role in a child's life. Teenagers go based off what their parents taught them. I know that its hard when your parents don't be there for you or give you the right attention. I also agree with you saying it is hard for the judges because they cant go based off how they grew up, they have to go based off the crime the teenager did. sometimes the system can be unfair when it comes to sentencing and the fact that Joe got sentenced life without parole for punching someone was really unfair and he do deserve a second chance because he did the when he was young. - BABYBLUE123
DeleteThis video made the choice of giving juveniles a second chance or not a hard call. I know everyone does make a dumb mistake in their life, while they are young. While I do believe everyone deserves a second chance it doesn’t mean a capital offence should be excused because of age especially since they are under the age of 18 or 17. My opinion of this should be at the age of 15, because by then you are already are making up your mind on your own. Plus you can join the work force, start a career. I do understand that not everyone has had the best childhood and we as a community or country need to address the source of these juvenile crimes instead of just blaming helpless kids put in horrible situations. The justice system needs to understand how a childhood can destroy or prosper a person. A lot of the crimes these specific kids featured in the video probably committed their crime(s) to showboat to their elders, friends, family, gangs, etc. or whomever they looked up to or wanted to impress. Which I do think feel for them that their situation isn’t the best in the beginning. When it comes down to it the law does not go by background or experiences but by the black letters on the paper. Jeeper123
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statements and your evaluation of the situation. But I do think they do take all those situations into account if not during trial but at their deserved parole hearings. At the time of their sentencing there wasn't the option presented to the judge and jury that allowed for a special consideration till the supreme court made their rulings giving them that option. Most first degree murder trials give only the definition of life without parole before moving to second degree murder. But even then some courts do not allow you to go after the lower murder charges if you charge for first degree. -M24Ninja
DeleteThis video was a powerful inside look to a prisoner sentenced to life when they were only a teenager or child. It showed how change and maturity can come with age and people won’t always think the same way as adults like when they were children. Often, the kid could have just not known any better or just made stupid mistakes that led from one bad result to the next. Part of me has weird feelings about that concept mainly because I feel that at a certain age, kids should understand and know the difference between right and wrong. Then again, the reasoning behind their lack of understanding might have come from childhood trauma, lack of parenting or influences from peers. It is true, like it was stated in the video, a child’s mind is not as developed as some adults and can easily be influenced by even the smallest of things. I felt bad for the families that went through finding out about the prisoners getting the chance for being released on parole but at the same time I was glad that there was a limit on how much punishment had been enough. They had not had a chance to even experience life and though their mistakes in the past would most likely haunt them for the rest of their life, at least they won’t die in prison like they originally feared. I understand the families pain about the situation but in my opinion, I feel that if it happened more than 20 or 30 years ago, they should let go at some point. The longer they hold onto the grudge against that person, the longer it’s going to hurt them. They say forgiving and forgetting is the best way to ease pain but honestly, they don’t need to forgive someone unless they choose too, but it could be beneficial to their own health if they just forget that person and live their life without that grudge. I would feel that if I knew that the killer who spent much of life in prison and got was going to have to wake up every morning knowing what they did and having to live with themselves because of it, I would think that would be enough torture to endure. Nothing is more of a prison than the human mind. SomethingProfound123
ReplyDeleteI understand both sides on how people would feel about this situation. Regardless, it would be hard to be the parents of the victims in these crimes but it would also be hard to be the judge in these cases. Even though most of these men were considered juveniles at the time of the crimes, I do believe they deserve to serve out a sentence but I also don't think some of them should have gotten life without parole. I do believe people change but unfortunately, their decisions got them to where they are today and that's the truth about life. Correctional facilities are to help rehabilitate people to become a better person and to learn from their mistakes, not to just keep them locked up forever. As I said, I do believe some of the cases shown in the video deserve a second chance while others seem to be cold blooded killers that premeditated their crimes. I think that a lot of juvenile’s behaviors start from their home life. I am not saying all, but most kids who grow up in a bad home life such as living in poverty, not having their parents around, or have brother and sisters that get into a lot of trouble seem to repeat what goes on around them. It seems like juveniles tend to recurrence the same behaviors and follow the same patters as the people that they are surrounded by daily. Before they know it, they are locked up at 14,15,16 years old and continue to follow down that path of going in and out of jail and continue to do so for the rest of their life. In certain scenarios, I do believe that people deserve second chances at being a civilized human being and not just locked away for the rest of their lives like animals. No matter what, no one will be completely happy with the decisions that are to be made but if they truly learn their lesson and learn from their mistakes then I don’t see the sense in keeping them locked up.
ReplyDelete-PizzaLover123
What I think about this video is that when you are young some kids don’t think about things they do. They have friends or even family that makes them go the wrong way and do things they never thought they would do and of course we do them because we are young and think its cool. When commit a crime and get life in prison as a kid sometimes being in jail makes you think about things you’ve done such as taking another life. Sometimes you have no choice to change me watching a lot of prison shows or Cops it doesn’t look fun in there its so different from the outside world. Everyone deserves a second chance in life and just because your prison shouldn’t change that saying. Sometimes parents are a cause of children actions. Parents not being in their life and not teaching them the right way to act can be why they do bad things. Teenagers can get into the streets and the drug business so fast when they don’t have a good childhood or even a father figure. Father figures play a big role in teenager’s life because they look up to their fathers the most and follow their footsteps. Anthony’s father was dealing drugs with him and showing him the ways to be in the streets and his mother was doing drugs which he knew but didn’t see her doing it. He had no choice but to grow up either doing drugs or selling drugs cause that’s all he knew and what he been around. Sometimes the law choices are unfair and I say this because Joe went to prison because he punched someone but didn’t the guy. Why should he get life in prison without parole when he wasn’t the one that murdered the college student? Yes I understand he shouldn’t have done what he did but he didn’t do the worse part to be in prison for life. Second chances play a big role in life. -Babyblue123
ReplyDeleteThe video shows the worst parts of the grey area of dealing with juveniles when they commit serious crimes. I feel the older teenagers get, it becomes more wishy-washy of how the individual will be treated. The younger you are the more of a chance you will be treated as a minor but when you near that magical barrier of 18 and you can often find yourself getting charged as an adult depending on the severity. I believe that juveniles need to be judged on a case by case basis on serious crimes as not all children are through their mental development at that time. If a crime is serious enough I think they should get life in prison, but with that said they should have a chance of parole. Juveniles should be given a chance to redeem themselves from the crimes committed as a legal minor. I believe that no person is totally irredeemable but adults do have a requirement of full penance for their crimes. I think the Supreme Court managed to get this decision right for once. As for each individual we saw in the video I think they were treated exactly as they should have been. With the laws that were in place at the time there wasn't any real expectation of different outcome. I do think the Supreme Court retroactively allowing for older cases to be opened for parole was the right choice as our Constitution allows us to fix problems with the laws for better or worse. I think over time we will come up with the proper way to punish and rehabilitate juveniles but this video is just showing how far we've come not how bad we are. -M24Ninja
ReplyDeleteSometimes we do things that we regret, I know I have ! I've done things that I'd regret right after I did them, I said I would never do those things ever again and I never did them again.; so I totally understand these juveniles. I believe that some children do not know better and some children do know better. I think that people should be charged as adults in their mid twenties early thirties; (when the brain is fully developed). I believe that people do change and sometimes we do things while we are young because we don't think about the consequences. When you put children in prison they can develope into life long criminals because of the prisons environment. Charging children as adults will lead to more criminals in the world because the children will grow up and commit more serious crimes. I believe that giving juveniles a chance of parole after fifteen years is very constitutional I know the victims' families want the criminals to be put away forever; but I think it is important to forgive people, especially if the brain wasn't fully developed at the time. From personal experience of losing a loved one at the hands of someone else I know how hard it is to forgive people, but once you realize the persons brain wasn't even fully developed it is a little harder to keep a grudge. I believe juveniles should serve at least fifteen years but no more than twenty years if they kill someone but I think life without parole for a juvenile is unconstitutional. Sometimes the juveniles home life has a huge impact on how they act outside of their home. If someone doesn't come from a stable household it could be hard for them to live a stable life. I believe that children who come from these unstable homes have the ability to change and they are not a lost cause so I do not believe that if they do something wrong they should be sent away for life. After these juveniles (now adults) are released on parole I believe they should be monitored for at least five years and if they go back to their old way; they should go back to prison, if they have changed they should stay out and be able to live their lives. Overall, I do believe it is unfair to think "once a criminal, always a criminal" giving juveniles life without parole is basically saying that.
ReplyDelete-Zar123
While watching the Juvenile Crime Documentary, I realized how bad young teenagers were during the 80’s and 90’s. It was so bad that some teens were getting life sentences at just 17 years of age. Some people thought the violence would keep going until maybe 2005. During the late 90’s it stopped. Almost 20 years after two juveniles were sentenced to life without parole, they were granted the right to talk to the parole board to try to get a second chance at life. Most of the time if a juvenile commits a serious crime like murder, it’s a good chance that he/she has personal stuff going on in their life that they don’t like and want to keep inside. While keeping their angry built inside, it only makes them worse. Then that one incident comes along that pushes them to the edge and makes them do something that they would regret later in life. In the story of Anthony Roland, he killed another youngman because, in my opinion he was stressed out. His mother was on crack and his father sold drugs. His life was rough coming up and he just got pushed to the point where he couldn’t control himself anymore. After 20 years he wants a second chance because he thinks he has changed since the incident. After 20 years in jail, i’m pretty sure that you learn that you made a bad mistake, took somebody’s life, somebody’s child and you just want a second chance at your life. The parole board granted Roland his parole and gave him a second chance. When you are young, you make dumb decisions that can mess you and someone else’s whole life up. It’s about if you deserve a second chance. A life beyond the jail yard. Green123
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