Juveniles Being Tried as Adults

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Recommended: Juveniles should be treated as adults

Throughout the past 30 years or so, the idea of a juvenile or teenager being tried as an adult has been a very controversial issue. When a juvenile commits a very heinous crime, many believe that that youth deserves to be tried as an adult, and given a full sentence. Some even believe that these juveniles deserve to go to adult prison. "When a child kills, does he instantly become an adult? Or does he maintain some trappings of childhood, despite the gravity of his actions?" (Reaves Para 1). What draws the line between a juvenile and adult crime? Sentencing shouldn't change between a juvenile and an adult. Our criminal justice system should stay true to its title and provide justice for all of those that may have been effected by a murder or any other crime.
When a crime is committed, no matter by who, it effects the lives of many people. When a person is killed, everyone they know and love has to deal with that. Their friends, brothers, sisters, parents, relatives, even classmates and co-workers. A juvenile committing that murder would have the same end result as an adult committing the same murder. Wouldn't it make more sense to give the murderer a common sentence, no matter what age they happen to be? There shouldn't be any way out of receiving the punishment you deserve.
"During the last 20 years however and in response to rising youth crime statistics, states have been expanding their authority to treat juveniles as adults in criminal courts and impose longer sentences. The mantra has been, 'old enough to do the crime, old enough to do the time'" (Singer Para 4). After a great rise in youth crime, something needs to be done. "In 2008, nine percent of all murders in the US were committed by juveniles. Almost half of all ars...

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... or not children should be tried as adults. When a child commits an adult crime, they should have to pay the price for what they did. It's called the criminal justice system because we provide justice for all crime committed. Anyone that is willing to take someone's life should also be willing to pay the price for that.

Works Cited
Reaves, Jessica. "U.S." TIME.com. Time.com, 17 May 2001. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.
Singer, Amy. "Should Children Be Tried As Adults?" Examiner.com.
Examiner.com, 11 June 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2013.
Schwartz, Robert. "Kids Should Never Be Tried as Adults." CNN. Cable News
Network, 18 Feb. 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2013.
Stamps, Barbe. "10 Reasons Why Juveniles Should Not Be Tried or Sentenced as Adults." Juvenile Justice. Juvenile Justice, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2013.
Gaines, Larry M. Criminal Justice. Salt Lake City: 2013. Print.

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