Juveniles Should Not Be Tried As Adults Essay

Juvenile offenders should not be tried as adults because there are differences between a teenager and adult. A teenager is not mature as an adult. Some teenagers are capable to change their behavior and are capable to recognize their own mistakes. It is a huge mistake for juveniles offenders to be tried as adults and send them to adult court and prison . There are many factors why they should not be tried as adult.

One reason why juvenile offenders should not be tried as adult is because they are far from adulthood. Many teenager who have committed a crime has a different background. For example, they have suffered sex abused, their parents have been drug addicted , or have been in prison for many years. There are many factors

why they get to the point to commit crimes and mark their lives. Most of them starts doing bad things at an early ages, but they don't think about the consequences that may have bring their actions because they are too young. In Paul Thompson’s article “ Startling Finds On Teenage Brain” (Thompson 89). He stated that ‘ In terms of cognitive development as research on the human brain has shown, Brazill and any other young teens is far from adulthood.” This means that they are still growing up and discovering new things as any other young teens, as an adult so far had lived more than any teen and of course they have experimented more than anybody and know better between right and wrong and are more aware what could happen with their accion . There are stages where teenagers do not understand themselves what is going on because their bodies or brain is suffering new changes this is what the author Thompson is trying to explain with his research.. According to Thompson “Brains cells and connection are only being lost in the areas controlling impulses, risk-taking and self-control.” For example the case of Nathaniel Brazill, the 14 year old boy who killed his middle school teacher who doesn’t have an explanation why he did that. He was sentenced to prison for 28 years into a second degree murder. Brazill was an honor student, described by his teachers as being mild mannered and likeable. This prove that Thompson’s and his colleagues research about that teenagers are far from adulthood and also that their brain is still developing and also that they may have change in their behavior.
For some teenagers it is not easy to change their behavior when they have grew up in an abusive environment or even worse have been for many years in a gang group.

A minority of them can feel regret and will change with help and rehabilitation. While they are paying their sentences in a Juvenile hall some of the offenders could want to change and be better person. In Gail Garinger’s article “ Juveniles Don't Deserve Life Sentence” (Garinger 93) she stated that “ As a former juvenile court judge I have seen firsthand the enormous capacity of children to change and turn themselves. The same malleability that makes them vulnerable to peer pressure also makes them promising candidates for rehabilitation” This means that they can be influenced by friends, family or someone just as they choose the wrong path so they can choose the same right again. For example Marquese from the documentary ‘ Juvenile Justice’ He has been on probation and spent time in juvenile hall, at the juvenile camp, and at the California Youth Authority. He was recently most charged with auto theft and residential burglary. He testified that he began doing bad things when he was at a young age. Now he says that he wants to changed and that he knew what he did was wrong. This truly prove that juvenile offender can be easily influenced Marquese’s mother testified that she was the one who taught Marquese to steal at an early age. Now his mother is being rehabilitated and also Marquese. These

offenders can change and some of them recognize their own mistakes are learn a lesson.
It is not a good idea to tried some juvenile offenders as adult because they deserve a second chance to reconsider and stay on the right path. Sentencing kids to lifelong prison term basically kills all their hopes and dreams because of one mistake in their life. Garinger reveals that “ Nationwide 79 young adolescents have been sentenced to die prison . These children were told that they would never change and that no one cared what became of them.They were denied access to education and rehabilitation programs and left without hope” This means that if they do not get the help they need they never would become part of society and it is more likely for them to do the same mistake that took them into the prison because they would feel rejected . They deserve a second chance to demonstrate that they are capable to chance and that are willing to change it is ridiculous to give life sentences when they are too young and can have a better future. An adult has lived his life but a teenagers barely begun to live their life. At some point in our lives we have committed more than one mistake, but we have learned from it. The same thing happen with these juvenile offenders make mistakes, not matter what kind of murder they have committed they deserve a second chance to reconsider and stay on the right path. If they are tried as adult all their hopes would die and also they would spend most of their lives in a prison .