When Should Kids Go To Jail Analysis

Moreover, teenagers can be seen as puppets during their childhood until adulthood, they grow up looking for role models in their parents or in their favorite social media person. They often look for cliques in order to fit into the “norm”. It is very possible that children pick up certain violent tendencies when they see television, social media, or experience abuse at home, or are psychologically ill from the start. For instance, Eric Smith, who was convicted as a juvenile at the age of 13 and was retired a decade later, was the alleged murder of the heinously killing and sodomizing of the body of Derrick Robie. The facts have shown “…that as a toddler, Smith threw temper tantrums and banged his head on the floor. He had speech problems, he was held back at school, and he was relentlessly bullied. When he asked for help with his anger, his adoptive father did not seem equipped to give it to him”

(Rather 1), proving that he was mentally ill. There are many children and teenagers that do develop such mental illnesses due to the stress of fitting in or being bullied because they are part of the outcast. It is hard to convict such children as adults when there are many factors that have pushed these teens to their breaking points, a point where they find satisfaction in the death of others. This alone proves that these teenagers are different and in being so, instead of pushing them into jail cells with other adults, there should be programs to help them with their mental illness.
Of course, the plaintiff could very well argue that it was their loved one that got murdered and is not going to be able to live out there life, in which they are correct. The delinquent should be punished, although they should be punished fairly and on fair ground. Let’s say for instance that juveniles were convicted as adults, these adolescents would actually be putting society at a greater risk. For example, in Jeffrey Fagan article, “Adolescents, maturity, and the law: why science and development matter in juvenile justice,” reveals, “Sending a youth to adult criminal court usually is irreversible, and it often exposes young lawbreakers to harsh and sometimes toxic forms of punishment, not to mention more unsavory peer influences that in many cases have the perverse effect of increasing criminal activity” (Fagan 1). Instead of keeping the streets safe and violent free, society’s leaders must first understand that sending a juvenile into adult prison only makes the juvenile worse. It confines them to turn to gangs inside jails, it leads them into using more violence and drug and having these aspects present in their lives at this time in their brain development it only brings opportunity for them to reoffend once their sentence is done. Trying to save one person could also be the key into saving hundreds of lives.
So how can we as citizens come to a compromise in this great argument of the capability of a child? Well we cannot. There are always going to be factors that end up putting juveniles into adult prisons and others that area going to direct juveniles into the juvenile detention center. The best solution would be the prevention of adolescents entering any time of detention center, court, or prison. Although, many may argue against this because of tax increases or the fear of having delinquents return into society and continue committing crimes, they must be given a chance, or how former judge, Gail Garinger said in, “Juveniles Don’t Deserve Life Sentences,” “…children should not be condemned to die in prison without being given a “meaningful opportunity” (Garinger 94, paragraph 9). It is impossible to distinguish which juvenile will learn their lesson and choose a path away from violence and the ones that will keep to that path and reoffend. But it is also inhumane, in a way, to withhold the opportunity from someone who searches to better themselves.
Nevertheless, there are many programs that are either in the process or are being thought of in order to help these troubled teens that have been neglecting their problems. In the debate “Juvenile Justice: where have we been, where are we going?” by Kurt Olsson, reviews the thoughts of McHardy who says, “We’ve been talking more and more about putting things up front in the first instance. If we do this, we can hit harder on violent issues that come more and more to the courts” (Olsson 1). Being able to stop teenagers from committing crimes is similar to a doctor removing the cancer from the body before it spreads and destroys it. It gives the juvenile system a prodigious leverage and utter control over the situation that has put society in fear. It allows not only for the system to keep juveniles on track and away from committing any crimes but it also helps reassure the public that they are safe and that there is no threat to their families.
In addition, Kurt Olsson would be greatly supported by David C.

Anderson’s article “When should kids go to jail,” because it ultimately expresses the same ideas but in an intense way. For example, Anderson focuses on Mark Moore’s strategy in developing a perfect juvenile facility, where the child, parents, mentors, or parole officers would be in utterly involved in the process of the betterment of the child. It calls for, “such a court could deal more logically than current juvenile courts with the status offenses like… criminal behavior. It would also keep jurisdiction over child abuse and neglect cases” (Anderson 1), which would help both the child and parents stay away from the wrong path. It would also help improve the relationship between the parent/s and child. Having this great idea in mind, the reader could further this visual and real see the great potential that can come out of this program. Many teenagers would be receiving help and be able to have a second chance in life to be of service to society, rather than being labeled a delinquent or threat to the

public.
Ultimately people can contravene in many forms but it is unlikely that neither side would ever be satisfied. The family of the victim will always want to prosecute the murder with the worst sentencing possible and the family of the murder will always have to dwell with the shame or embarrassment that their child has burdened them with; as well as living without their child for a long time. Both the victim and murder are the ones that suffer, and although many do not share the same perspective, teenagers prosecuted as adults also lose their life. They will also miss out on a normal teenage life, with no school activities, no sleepovers, no family dinners, and no college experiences. And for this reason, adolescents should not be punished as adults, they should be given a second chance in life when they are mature enough to comprehend the consequences and are able to get a full evaluation that their participation in such rehabilitations have been successful in turning an immature mind into an adult mind. A mind with full knowledge, maturity, and self-control.