Juvenile Justice In Dear Martin By Nic Stone

565 Words2 Pages

With society searching for justice, the debate over juvenile justice reveals our morals and values. The novel “Dear Martin” written by Nic Stone takes place in the 20th century in Atlanta, Georgia. In the story, Justyce McAllister, the protagonist, faces racial profiling and police brutality and it shows how the justice system could target certain groups. Justice has not looked into the future and has no evidence of racism. Lighter sentences and rehabilitation are critical for juvenile justice in order to grow and fairness. Many people do not look at the background of juveniles and are focused on the crime. In the article, “They Were Sentenced as “Superpredators.” Who Were They Really?” by Priyanka Boghani talks about the superpredator myth …show more content…

This just shows how unfair justice is for juveniles they may not know better. Most of them saw violence in their youth. “The survey found that 79 percent reported witnessing violence in their homes growing up,” (Boghani, 2017). This shows how violence is a big factor in influencing more violence, which influences them to think that’s the way for their future. The justice system's failure to consider juveniles' backgrounds shows their unfair sentencing practices. Racism is also present when dealing with juvenile justice. In the novel, “Dear Martin”, by Nicole Stone, there are instances where justice is based on race. Quan, a juvenile offender, has experienced some of these disparities, “they locked my ass up for a year on a petty theft charge cuz it was my ‘second offense.’ Prosecutor actually referred to me as a ‘career criminal’ at the hearing”(Stone 109). However, when a rich white boy stabbed his father 8 times almost nothing happened, “They tried to get him on an attempted murder charge, but the homeboy’s lawyer got some doctor to come in and say the dude was sleepwalking. And the shit worked out. Guy got sixty days at a youth development campus, then got to go home” (Stone

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