Juvenile System Sunday, May 09, 2010 Mrs.
Bird 3rd period
BY: NICKOLAS J. RINCHE
Traditionally the ideology of the American Juvenile justice system in this
country has embodied the belief that the moral character of juveniles is less
formed than adults, thus they are viewed as more deserving of a second
chance than there adult counterparts. A seemingly callous new breed of
violent juvenile offenders is making many believe juveniles should be jailed
alongside adult offenders. At the core of this division in belief a conflict
regarding human nature .The main question poses is: Should juveniles be
responsible for their actions to the same degree as an adult? Recently, a six
year old boy acquired a gun from the floor of his uncle’s crack house and
fatally shot a six year old schoolmate. No one questioned the decision by
authorities to prosecute the uncle will be exonerating the child of any crimes.
However, is a twelve year old developed enough to be much more
responsible than a six year old for his or her action? Many argue that no
juvenile should drive, vote, serve his or her country, drink alcoholic
beverages , or smoke tobacco before they are 18 or 21 because are not
responsible enough to handle these things. However, many argue that 11-16
year-olds are as responsible as adults or delinquent behavior, In 1999, 100
years after the establishment of the defense arguments in case of Joseph. I
believe in the intent of Nobel prize winning social reformer, Jane Adams ,who
felt troubled children should have access to specialize treatment services
(dodge 1). This is why I reject the argument of prosecution. However, I also
reject the argument of defense or community service as being too lenient in
the case of chronic offenders.(two) it is not fair to place Joseph in a high
security treatment center with older youth. One of the main reasons for this
is that Joseph experienced few character-building role models in either his
home environment or his community. Sending him to such a -facility would
increase the risk that his only role-models will continue to be other offenders
who have issues of their own. This is virtually no support in the literature to
disprove the notion that when juveniles are incarcerated with older
offenders, they are often physically abused and have a high rate of
recidivism. (Three) the needs of a society do not outweigh the needs of
child’s right to treatment. Every child should have the right to treatment.
Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures dealing with juveniles, such
as juveniles’ detention centers. I’ve been to one in Longview , Tx. called JDC.
I encourage all the people who are gang-related or thinking about getting in
a gang don’t do it. Because you’re most likely to get locked up. When you
think about committing a crime don’t, because when that happens it’s over
with. I’m going to tell you how it is in there so maybe you turn around before
you start to do something wrong.
You get three small cold meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You only get
water to drink during lunch and dinner, and you get milk for breakfast. Well
when you ARE finished eating those meals you go straight back to your
room. You stay in your room for twenty two hours of the day. On Tuesdays,
you go to the library and Thursdays and Fridays are phone calls so you can
call your parents, and only your parents. They got some good books in the
library but not a lot to choose from. But personally I think JDC is useless.
Because I think locking us up like animals isn’t going to work. Because the
people I see in there leave, when I leave I see them on the streets and then
the’re back. Statistics show that youth are more likely to get caught with
criminal acts than adults…as more minors are committing violent crimes
such as murder, rape, and armed robbery. Some of these children are being
tried as an adult while others as juveniles and receiving milder punishments.
A juvenile offender may receive a few years in a juvenile detention center
and possibly probation following his or her release at age eighteen.
An adult committing the same crime will receive a much harsher penalty,
often years in jail, possibly a life sentence, with little or no chance of parole.
The only difference between the two offenders is the age at which they
committed the crime. Juveniles over the age of fourteen should be tried as
an adult when accuse of violent crimes. Forty-one states currently have laws
that make it easier to try a juvenile that has committed a violent crime and is
over the age of 14 as an adult. In 1995, Texas lowered the age a juvenile can
be tried as an adult to 14 – 15 . Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana also
have laws setting the minimum age a juvenile can be tried as an adult at 14.
At age fourteen the average person is mentally mature enough to
understand the consequences associated with committing a crime. If
juveniles, over fourteen years old knows right from wrong. He (or she) is able
to tell whether they are commuting a crime. If a juvenile is mature enough to
commit an adult crime, they should be treated as an adult, and punished
justly according to the adult law. The difference in age in two people should
not determine their same pretenses. But I think if we commit an adult crime
we should be given a second chance.
Therefore, we will probably learn a lesson and know not to do it again instead of
giving adolescents a life sentence. And giving up us isn’t going to work so I
persuade the U.S and all the citizens to take a second look at us because we’re the
future but not if they treat us like adults, we need time to mature. They should wait
till were 18 to try us like adults because then we’ll be adults. And if we commit a
crime now they should give us time not life sentences.
THE END
