...Juveniles being tried as adults Student’s name University affiliation Juveniles being tried as adults Introduction The first juvenile court started in the United States of America in 1899. The two basic principles on which the court juvenile court were founded are one, and juveniles were not mature enough to take responsibility of their actions compared to adults and two, it was easier to rehabilitate juveniles as compared to adult criminals (Grisso & Schwartz, 2000). In more than a century, these principles remained the benchmarks of the juvenile courts as they expanded from Chicago, their original birthplace, into other states and eventually in other parts of the world. However, in the recent year rising incidences of juvenile criminals being tried as adults has increased as it was before the advent of the first juvenile court. Much of this stems from the public outrage against the children who, in high numbers, are engaging in violent crimes. Many countries have adopted legislation that permits them to juveniles to be tried as adults. In some countries, there are provisions that allow prosecutors to try children as young as 14 years under certain circumstances (Grisso & Schwartz, 2000). Juvenile courts establishment aimed at separating the youthful offenders from the adult criminals and thereafter processing and rehabilitating them in forgiving and less punitive manner compared to the adult criminal system (Redding & Fuller, 2004)...
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...Hunter Jenkins K. Turnage English 112 24 January 2015 Abstract Do you believe that juveniles should ever be tried as adults? If so, in what situations and why? That question that was put forth to fifteen different people in a survey. Along with the survey, several articles related to the question were researched This survey and the research on the articles was done in order to gather enough information to present both sides of this issue. The results show that almost all of the fifteen people had very similar responses. The articles that were relative to this question offered very good arguments for both sides. Fourteen of the fifteen people surveyed immediately responded by saying that it all depended on the seriousness of the crime committed. For the more serious crimes such as murder, rape, and any other crime that results in the victim being harmed, it was almost unanimous that yes, the juvenile should be tried as an adult. The results of the survey showed that fourteen out of the fifteen people felt that an individual capable of committing such crimes should be tried as adults. Should Juveniles Ever Be Tried as Adults? There has been much research and discussion regarding this question. There are many people who feel as if juveniles should be tried as adults, and likewise, there are many people who feel that juveniles should be tried only in juvenile courts. It is a question that requires much research in order for somebody to reach an intelligent decision. This...
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...This issue paper will cover the subject of “Trying Juveniles as Adults”. This has brought up a very controversial topic that people seem to be very passionate about. The rate of minors committing horrendous crimes has been on a steady rise for the past couple of decades (DOJ National Report Series Bulletin, 2011). There are many differences between the court system for Juveniles and the justice system for adults. In Juvenile courts there are no juries and no trails by jury either. In adult courts the sentencing is much harsher and the chance of getting off the hook with some counseling is very slim. If a juvenile is defined as a person under the age of 18, how can you justify trying them in a court designed for adult offenders? Some juvenile cases get transferred to adult criminal court through a process called a “waiver”—when a judge waives the protections that juvenile court provides (www.ojjdp.gov). Usually, juvenile cases that are subject to waiver involve more serious crimes, or minors who have been in trouble before (nolo.com/juveniles youth adult criminal court). Being tried as an adult gives a juvenile more constitutional protections, but it also has disadvantages such as losing the juvenile protections as well. Depending on the crime of the minor, both court systems can punish the individual, but which court can give the appropriate punishment or the “crime”, not the age of the person committing the crime? The big question now is should we the courts show more...
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...Juvenile Justice; Don’t Send The Future Away The day I got locked up was a bad day. When I got out i thought it was over not knowing it’s a whole court system I had to go through. I was 16 at the time so I got tried as an adult. I sign my plea for two weeks of probation later. Is the question “are juveniles getting a fair justice?” According to Nicole Scialabba during a single year, an estimated 2.1 million youth under the age of 18 are arrested in the United States. Since the 1980s there has been growing concern about crimes committed by young people. Juveniles should not be tried as adults because young offenders are at risk sent to adult prisons, they are more likely to commit crimes and they lack understanding of the crime they committed. Juveniles should not be tried as adults because they will be sent to an adult prison. An adult prison will have an extremely destructive effect on the juveniles. “Young prisoners are also at a disadvantage because they are not as mature (mentally and physically) as older prisoners (Scott). It is saying that automatically going in a adult prison they are already not safe. Compared to adults they are small. The adult prisoners are physically bigger than juveniles so...
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...Should Juvenile Offenders Be Tried and Punished As Adult Offenders? Steven W. Eudy Columbia Southern University EH 1020: English Composition II Professor John Willey February 28, 2011 Abstract In America, it seems as though the crime rate grows on a daily basis. While the crime rate continues to grow so does the number of juvenile offenders that are involved in criminal activity. Since late 1980’s, the number of juvenile arrests, has risen steadily and has continued to rise every year since then. With juvenile offenders committing the same crimes as adult offenders, it seems as though the juveniles should be tried and punished to the same extinct as the adult offenders that commit the same crimes. Juvenile courts have been put into place to handle the trials of juveniles and are used for guidance rather than punishment. Juvenile courts were introduced as a method to keep juveniles out of the adult courts until the age of 18, which defines a juvenile as an adult. As the crime rate continues to grow and more juveniles continue to commit adult crimes or serious violent crimes, will the juvenile court system be adequate for juvenile trials and enacting punishment for crimes that are committed by juveniles? Should Juvenile Offenders Be Tried and Punished As Adult Offenders? In law a juvenile is defined as a person who is not old enough to be held responsible for criminal acts. In most states and on the federal level, this age is set at 18 years. For example...
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...Should Juveniles Be Tried As Adults Hope Penson Effective Essay Writing/ Com 150 March 28, 2010 Instructor: Brandy W. Kreisler Should Juveniles be tried as Adults? The United States is the world leader in convicting children as adults. Unfortunately once a child is charged as an adult the likelihood of a fair trial is very small. Over the past 30 years there have been changes in many states laws which have led to a dramatic increase in the number of juveniles tried as adults and housed in adult jails and prisons. These get tough laws have made it easier for more and younger juvenile offenders to be prosecuted in criminal court. The purpose of juvenile court is to treat, not deter. Changing the social environment in which juveniles live is a more effective way to reduce juvenile violence than punishing the juvenile offenders in adult courts. The premise of the juvenile court is sound since children have not filly matured, they shouldn’t be held to the same standards of accountability as adults. In some states certain juvenile offenders are automatically tried as adults. Even though juveniles are committing serious crimes at an alarming rate they are not being reformed because juveniles being charged as adults do not comprehend the nature of their crimes. What is America to do? Is charging them as adults reforming them or contributing to the problem once they return to society. The Illinois Juvenile Court...
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...call juvenile criminals, but, every action has a consequence and to deal with these unlawful adolescent we have the Juvenile Justice Department. The juvenile justice system is a network of agencies that deal with juveniles whose conduct has come in conflict with the law. These agencies include police, prosecutor, detention, court, probation, and the Department of Juvenile Corrections. But, when young offenders commit a series of crimes or even serious crimes, they are waivered into Adult court where they will be subject to any punishment available. Some cases of Juvenile’s being tried as adults is not fair. Some people would disagree about their charge. Some pros of Juveniles being tried as adults are, Attacking juvenile crime lowers the overall crime rate and allows us to live in a society that is much safer. A juvenile who knows that they will be punished for their crimes is far less likely to commit them. Other juveniles who may be considering committing a crime will also view the harsh punishment of their peers as a powerful deterrent. A crime is a crime no matter what, even if it is the littlest crime. A juvenile who is tried as an adult could end up being scared straight, which will make them from not continue to break the law. Spending a few nights in jail around hardened criminals can often be the wake up call. A juvenile offender needs in order to realize the error of their ways and make the necessary changes to their lifestyle (Should juveniles be tried as adults...
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...should never be tried as adults in any court of law. It has been a large and heated debate about if adolescents should be able to be tried as an adult for adult crimes. One side of this argument is that if a teenager commits an adult crime, they should be sentenced reflecting the crime and not the age. Whereas others believe that if a child does not have the same legal rights and responsibilities as adults, they should not be held to adult standards in this case either. In this paper I will explain the disadvantages and inhumanity of this injustice toward our future by using facts, statics, and blogs. In the 18th century, children as young as seven could be tried as adults, in criminal courts, in America. These children were jailed with adults because the first institution designed to accommodate children wasn’t established until the year 1825. The Society for prevention of Juvenile Delinquents founded the New York House of Refuge, which prompted other states to follow their examples by building group homes and half way houses for child offenders. The first juvenile court wasn’t established until the year 1899 in Cook County, Illinois. It took until the year 1925 for 48 out of the 50 states to found juvenile courts as well. An amendment in 1980, mandated that juveniles could not be placed in adult jail, with few exemptions. But these exemptions were later used as loop hole,” In the 1990: almost every state passed laws making it easier to try juveniles in adult criminal courts;...
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...Corrections Position Paper: Juveniles Tried as Adults by Michael Holland There are thousands of children who have been sentenced as adults and shipped off to adult prisons all across the United States. The juvenile justice focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment, as is the modern trend in corrections compared to the past. Although the focus is on rehabilitation and recidivism, until offenders are willing to accept the responsibilities and consequences for their own actions, change cannot occur. Each state’s statutes outline the guidelines that determine whether or not a juvenile offender should be tried as an adult. It would be foolish to ignore both security and safety issues that stem from youth now being incarcerated as adults. My belief is that a juvenile offender would have to meet a specific criterion to be tried as an adult based on age, priors, and type of offense. We have the ability to reach children at an impressionable time in their lives and show them there is an alternative to life behind walls because fifteen year olds do not belong in an adult prison. As with any topic of debate, there are two sides to the argument for juveniles being tried as adults. Those who support this notion argue valid points which shouldn’t be overlooked when dissecting this topic. First and foremost, the most important factor in my opinion and one that makes me question my position of stance; by trying a juvenile as an adult we are deterring and minimizing crimes...
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...Every year there are millions of people committing crimes, but the crimes committed by juveniles gets the most attention from the public. During the recent years, more and more teens get sentenced as an adult. They sent teens from the juveniles’ courts to the adult courts. Their crimes are viewed more harshly and critically, which explain the reason why they are being tried as an adult. Many people gave different kind of opinion on this kind of topic, whether or not teens get tried as adults. There are many articles that address this topic and their claim on this controversial topic. Some of the articles that review this matter are “Juveniles Don’t Deserve Life Sentence” by Gail Garinger, “On Punishments and Teen Killers” by Jennifer Jenkins, and “Kids are Kids- Until They Commit Crimes” by Marie Lundstorm. They both have their own opinions and knowledge on this topic. My position in this issue is juveniles don’t deserve to be tried as adults. There has been a relentless amount of fear in the public about juveniles making...
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...The Age and Time for the Crime in Juvenile Justice Natasha Yancey Strayer University March 16, 2014 The Age and Time for the Crime The adult criminal system is designed for the prosecution of adults not children. Both state and federal legislative have responded to juvenile crime by focusing on sending more and younger children to adult criminal court. How and where do we draw the line between adults and children? Where do we draw the line between justice and malice? Juveniles that commit crimes should be punished for the crimes that they commit, but they should not be tried as an adult. This paper will offer information on why there needs to be changes in the juvenile justice system, and it will analyze why the increased prosecution of juveniles in adult court is disastrous and nothing but a threatening policy. This policy is unjust, harmful to children and does nothing to increase public safety; consequently punishing adolescents as adults does more harm than good. Thomas J Bernard a professor of criminal justice and sociology at Pennsylvania State University explained how psychologists and sociologists saw young offenders. Bernard’s (2010) book The Cycle of Juvenile Justice recognized that minors are children and not adults. (p. 45) Bernard (2010) further explains that during the 18th century children were tried as adults. Juveniles as young as the age of seven could be tried and sentenced in criminal courts. (Bernard 2010) His research expounds on the Society...
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...Juveniles convicted as adults: Unconstitutional How does placing a child in an adult prison, where they risk sexual abuse that eventually leads to suicide, teach them a lesson? Juveniles, who commit serious crimes, are usually seen as convicts or criminals who should pay the price of what they committed even if that means sentenced as an adult and occasionally with no parole. Some of these juveniles who are being tried as adults suffered from psychological traumas caused at home by their parents or own family members. People need to know what can be done to prevent these crimes. Placing a juvenile in an adult trial is unconstitutional and is abusing their rights. Many of the juveniles prosecuted as adults are placed in adult jails pretrial, where they are at risk of harm, abuse and suicide. People need to understand the importance and dangers of incarcerating a child in an adult correctional facility. The administration of justice should implement meaningful juvenile justice reforms such as, rehabilitation centers, counseling, and they should correspondingly perform psychological test before being prosecuted in an adult trial so the U.S can uphold the dignity and human rights of our children and ensure that no child in our nation is considered a throwaway person. Juvenile crime rates soared in the mid- 1990s, and that is why every state initiated strict laws against juveniles and began incarcerating minors as adults. That high rates of juvenile delinquency dropped quickly...
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...Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Crime Name Class Date Instructor Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Crime Have you ever wondered how juvenile and adult courts operate? How they are similar but yet how they’re so different from each other? This is a very misunderstood topic and process. We will try to shed light on some of the situations that surround these types of courts, and help provide a clearer picture to help understand exactly what happens and what’s going on inside the two. Juvenile and Adult Courts Before we go into how juvenile and adult courts compare to each other we will first look at a few terms that are often misconstrued. The act or behavior of someone that is young often seen as illegal or going against laws are known as a delinquency. The second term we should get familiar with when talking about juveniles are status offenses. Status offenses for juveniles are actions that wouldn’t be considered illegal if they were of age. Prime examples being running away from home and underage drinking, things of that nature. So what exactly is the difference between juvenile court and adult court one might ask? Or how are they similar? Well we will discuss that now and try to get a clearer picture of these two questions. Juvenile courts are of course for people that are under the age of 18, and have committed some sort of act or acts that are considered to be against the law. Even though some people may be a juvenile they could still be put on trial in...
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...Juvenile Justice Juveniles always tend to be in an awkward situation when it comes to courts and how to punish them. Juveniles have certain rights but they waive those once they commit a serious crime or felony, such as murder or rape. There have been many cases where judges and prosecutors are torn between a child committing a crime and debating whether the juvenile should serve their complete sentence or as much as possible until they turn 18. Although in most states, a juvenile offender must be at least 16 to be able to be tried in adult court a number of states, minors as young as 13 can be tried as an adult. Yet there are few states that allow children of any age to be tried as adults for certain types of crimes, such as homicide. In many cases juveniles and their attorneys fight to keep a case in juvenile court but there are some advantages to being tried in adult criminal court. For example minors have the right to a jury trial in adult court while most states do not provide a right to a jury in juvenile court. Juries in adult court may also be more sympathetic to a minor. Where there are jails which are crowded, the court may be inclined to dispose of the juvenile's case more quickly and impose a lighter sentence. One of the many disadvantages for juveniles in adult court is that the juvenile is subject to more severe sentences, including life sentences. Judges in adult court do not have the wide range of punishment and treatment options that are available to juvenile...
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...involving minors and them being tried as adults. The reason behind my choice involves the number of increased crimes that have been committed by minors. There are many opinions about this very topic both for and against minors being tried as adults. Many on the opposing side of this argument feel as if sentencing in adult courts would be Cruel and Unusual punishment for a minor, which in turn is a violation their eighth amendment right. Recent trends in the increase of rape, murder, gang related crimes, and armed robbery have shown that a significant portion of the people involved are between the ages of 12 and 17. Most of the people in this age group have been repeat offenders calling into question are juvenile court and the punishments having an effect? The answer to this is simple… No. Examining both sides of the argument as well as data will not only show this but also enlighten many...
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