...Juveniles Tried as Adults As more minors are committing heinous crimes, the question of whether they should be tried as adults has arisen. Children as young as thirteen or fourteen are committing violent crimes such as murder, rape, and armed robbery with little to no remorse, and what punishment are they receiving? Some get tried as adults and the others are being tried as juveniles. A juvenile offender may receive a few years in a juvenile detention and maybe probation following their release at age eighteen. If an adult were to commit the exact same crime, they would most likely get a life sentence, with no chance of parole. The only difference between the two offenders is the age at which they committed the crime. Yes, teens who commit violent crimes should be tried as adults. In the article “Greg Ousley is Sorry for Killing His Parents. Is That Enough?” At age fourteen, Greg Ousley shot both of his parents, killing them. He admits to having planned the murder. Throughout the article, it is obvious that Greg Ousley after being in jail for sixteen years, regretted killing his parents. But even than just because he regrets doing it, does not change the fact that he did. He still deserves to complete his punishment. Regret means nothing especially after committing a brutal crime. A common argument is that teens should not be tried as adults because they are unfit for adult trial. According to the article “Many Kids Called Unfit for Adult Trial”, they don’t understand...
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...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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...Should Teens Be Tried as Adults? In 1944, George Stinney Jr. was the first 14-year-old to be sent to an adult prison. He was accused of murder and sentenced to death almost a year later. Juvenile delinquents should not be sent to adult prison systems because their brains are not fully developed as to that of an adult, they are at high risk of physical harm at the hands of other inmates, and might later be denied employment due to an adult criminal record. Around 250,000 teens are tried or sentenced as adults in the U.S.A. every year, and nearly 10,000 per day. As a matter of fact, the majority of these teens are charged with non-violent offenses. Teens should not be tried as adults because their brains are not fully developed. American Academy...
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...At 15 years old you are not able to drink, drive, vote, or even see an R-rated movie by yourself because you are not classified as an adult. If this is the case, why are juveniles tried as adults when they commit a crime? Every year there is an estimated 250,000 youth tried in the United States as an adult. Although no crime should go unpunished, there are many contributing factors that states why a minor shouldn’t be sentenced as an adult. The fact that most adolescents become repeat offenders, they are not able to survive in prison, and the court is basically ruining their lives are just a few examples of why they shouldn’t be tried as an adult. To begin with, 66 percent of the youth in the United States that are sentencved to prison become...
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...just instincts. Free to grow and add things to your canvas. Teens come to life pure as snow, our parents are our first mentors and teachers of life. They influence most of our actions growing up. Some have to face the harsh reality of a brutal life early due to the lack of shielding from parents, slowly our canvases are tainted into dark colors. The life of those unfortunate teens mold them, every aspect of them. Without realizing malice is being nurtured in the darkest corner of their thoughts, inevitably teens like this that go on without help will likely turn to crimes. Some of these teens commit horrendous crimes and the question is, what should the justice system do? Some individuals will suggest treating them as adults since they were aware of their crime but is that the right punishment? Should society just disregard humanity and lock these teens up for the good of everyone else? While I believe teens that commit heinous crimes should be punished I also strongly believe their age should be put into account when deciding their punishment. Teens although they’re aware of their actions are still lacking growth in their brain. “Frontal lobes, which inhibit our violent passions, rash actions, and regulate our emotions, are vastly immature throughout teenage years.”(Thompson, Paul 7). The study that Thompson’s research group conducted gives some insights as to what happens to the brain during teenage years, teens like this might make conscious mistakes that they will regret...
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...average of 7,500 youth are incarcerated in adult jails. This subject is given little attention by the public, despite the horrific consequences of being tried in an adult criminal justice system and incarceration in an adult jail. Youth who are placed in adult jails are at a greater risk of physical and sexual assault. I believe juveniles under the age of 18 should not be treated as adult criminals because placing youth in the adult criminal justice system puts their safety at risk, restricts their necessary education and crucial health development, and increases the likelihood of violence and re-offending. Placing youth in adult jails most likely result in inimical situations and it is extremely difficult to prevent these events from occurring. By housing young offenders in the same facilities as adult criminals they are presented as the easiest preys which result in physical and sexual assaults. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2005 and 2006,...
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...Should Youths be treated as Adults in the Canadian Justice System? Varun Thapar Due Date: March 1, 2011 Mr. Roberts The Youth Justice System was originally created in 1908; and was brought about because the government considered facilitating the youth so they wouldn’t be given the same sentence as adults. This early incarnation of youth legislation was called the Juvenile Delinquents Act This act was for young offenders with a guiding philosophy that juveniles are not criminals but children who need direction. An offender was classified to be between the ages of 7-18 could be tried in this system. The accused does not have a right to a lawyer, hearings were closed; and the charter did not apply. Examples of sentencing options were light and included fines and placements in foster care home. In 1984, the Young Offenders Act was changed to the idea that youths are less responsible for crimes than adults. Some of the amendments of this new act were a narrower range of age, 12-17 year olds and the accused must be advised of right to a lawyer, the Charter rights apply, and the accused could be sentenced to open or closed custody, and could be sentenced to 5 years for murder. In 2002, harsher punishments were introduced to the Act along with a change of name to the, Youth Criminal Justice Act. The driving idea for this act is that tougher sentences prevent crimes but rehabilitation is vital. It has been is debated as to whether or not youth should be given the same sentences...
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...criminals are juveniles who are committing adult crimes. When being tried in the juvenile court system, they are receiving shortened sentences, and they are being released and given new identities to continue to go about their lives but the victims and their families of the crime are left to suffer without having justice served. By changing the way the court system sees juveniles, the United States can change their motives and approach to society. Minors should be tried as adults because everyone has control over their actions unless diagnosed with a mental disability, victims will not receive full justice, and lastly the young adults might not learn from their mistakes. When it comes to trying teens as adults, many say trying them as adults is to cruel and harsh of a punishment but instead to try them as juveniles instead, others say they must be tried as adults after committing an adult crimes. Younger induviduals should be held accountable for their actions and tried as adults. Children almost always know right from wrong even starting at young age. These young adults are usually always taught to talk or consult with...
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...Juveniles should not be imprisoned for life without the possibility of parole! In the Frontline documentary “When Kids Get Life” we are introduced to 5 cases in Colorado where teenage boys had been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Over 2,200 juveniles have been convicted of crimes and sentenced to life without parole in the 46 states of which have judicial waiver laws. Nathan Ybanez, Trevor Jones, Jacob Ind, Erik Jensen and Andrew Medina are the teenagers profiled in the documentary. The documentary shows five cases that dealt with felony murder. “The rule of felony murder is legal doctrine in some common law jurisdictions that broadens the crime of murder in two ways. First, when an offender kills accidentally...
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...places. Here are some examples of Bullying teasing, name calling, inappropriate sexual comments, taunting, and threating to cause harm. As you can see bullying has many different forms. Bullying does not have to be right in front of a person. People could be spreading rumors, bad-mouthing a person and that still considered bullying. Now a day with the technology children and teens are being bullied by the phone, texting, emailing and video recordings. Bullying does not only have to take place in our schools. It takes place with sport groups, youth groups and yes it does take place with our adults in the work place. Yes its true bullying does happen among adults also in the work force. It seems weird and wrong because we are all adults and should know better but it’s true it happens. Bullying is also taking place with our seniors in their groups, nursing homes and senior living facility’s. Being bullied has many effects on children and teens. Some might become depressed and think that they aren’t loved, which will also play a toll on them always feeling sad. Anxiety could also become a problem with a child or teen because they won’t want to go to school because they will fear about getting bullied and that no one likes them. Children’s sleeping and eating habits could also change for them. When someone is being bullied they start to think that they are worthless and don’t take care of themselves since no one likes me. A child’s grades and work could decrease and they don’t feel like...
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...for adults and juveniles differs in many significant ways. An adult system is for eighteen and older who have committed a crime. The juvenile system is for young offenders who commit serious crimes. Adult offenders have to get a lawyer in order to meet a judge, and juvenile that is under eighteen needs to have their parents present to meet the judge. There are more crimes committed by juveniles. Some examples are school shootings, and murders. Sometimes kids commit a serious crime and are sent to adult prison. Two young girls who lured another twelve year old girl in to the woods, and stabbed her 19 times to please slender man. The two girls are being charged with first degree intentional attempted homicide. They are likely to be tried as adults and long prison sentences. These girls were only trying to please a fictional character who they thought was real and lived in the woods. They thought if they pleased slender man he would not come after them. The girls did not do this intentionally, they were doing it for their safety. Some people think we should treat them as adults and others think they are still kids whose brains are not yet fully developed. Adult courts tend to be more punishing, while juvenile courts tend to be more rehabilitative. Every state has their own laws and rules they make and follow. Each state is left up to their own devices on what to do. The district attorney has the power to charge a young defendant as an adult. Juveniles are not considered adults, crime...
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...Children in the United States who commit serious crimes are no longer being tried as juveniles but are being tried as adults and are getting life in prison. Kids as young as the age of 13 are being given life in prison with no opportunity at a second chance. The court systems are failing to recognize that these juveniles have their whole lives ahead of them.. Juveniles in the United States deserve second chances; they are not old enough or fully developed to know any better. Juveniles in the United States who are sentenced to life in prison still deserve a second chance at life, even if they commit a serious crime. Children in the United States, especially younger kids, are easily influenced by media and what type of home environment they live in because of their age. Kids tend to copy what they see, that means if they see something they should not be doing around them or on media, there is a chance that they will replicate it. The way children learn and behave is drastically different from the way adults do, which is why they should not be tried as adults and get sentenced to life. Children have the potential to change more than adults do. While kids are young they view the world differently. As Garinger mentioned adolescents are “less...
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...has been long discussed. The legal age in the Philippines is 18 and people in the country wonder whether or not is the right call. At the age of 18, Filipinos has the right to vote. If an 18 year old can make up their mind as to who the potential leader of the country should be then, they should have every right to purchase and drink alcohol. The majority of the world has their legal age set at 18 and if you are old enough to be regarded an adult by society, you are old enough to have the same rights afforded to you. Introduction Teen drinking is on the rise. By the age of eighteen the law recognizes these young people as adults, they can be tried as an adult in the law, parents signatures are no longer necessary, and it is assumed you are mature enough to make sound decisions regarding things such as alcohol. Alcohol is abused heavily by teenagers across the nation. As they grow older their alcoholism grows worse and worse. The effects of teenage drinking affects many aspects of your body and mental state that it can lead to risky behaviours. DISCUSSION In the Philippines, although there is an age limit for purchasing alcoholic beverages it is estimated that 60% of young people will have at least tried alcohol before then. Hard liquors and beers can be easily buy in convenience stores by teenagers under the minimum legal drinking age or got them from some of their older friends and family members. However, “while there may be no official statistics available, the consequences...
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...Underage drinking has become a big problem in our society today. Many young teens die daily due to drinking alcohol, because these teens are abusing the age policy of drinking. Underage drinking is a problem today because it is causing teens to act out in a certain way. This is a problem because teens drinking cause not only health problems, but causes rapes and car accidents. More than half of American youths ages 12 to 20 have tried alcohol. Girls are nearly as likely as boys to experiment with drinking. Drinking at a young age greatly increases the risk of developing alcohol problems later in life. Talking to kids early and openly about the risks of drinking can help reduce their chances of becoming problem drinkers. Most teens find it...
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...found themselves going along with an action that they knew was wrong. Or maybe a desperate situation caused them to commit a crime they normally would not. One of the best aspects of [Stan Bingham]'s bill is that it allows teens as young as 13 who commit serious felonies, like murder, robbery or rape, to still be tried as adults. One size doesn't fit all, and teens who can murder, rob or rape don't deserve the same justice as those who commit lesser felonies. Full Text Black and white is much easier than gray. When issues are black and white, certainty reigns, and no question comes about the resolution. Gray poses a challenge to weigh subjective factors that may result in a messy conclusion that doesn't completely satisfy. The law seems like it should be very black and white. If you steal an air conditioner, for example, you will be charged with larceny. Larceny carries a specific range of punishment when the offender appears in court. He will be sentenced based on the law. But even in that black-and-white scenario some discretion may be called for. How old is the offender? What were the circumstances? Has he committed crimes in the past? The gray begins to creep in for judges. Perhaps this gray area exists the most for young offenders. Almost every adult can look back on some teenage action with regret. If you omit traffic offenses, perhaps few were actually...
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