Why Teenagers Should Not Be Tried As Adults

Should We Just Lock Up Kids With Murders

Imagine being the only teenager in a room full of murders. Nearly 3,000 teenagers nationwide have been sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (CHILDREN IN PRISON). A child's life should not be thrown away just because they committed a mistake they were not fully aware of. When a minor commits a crime justice is not being severed. Their actions are not the same as adults. Teenagers do not get the same benefits as adults so why would they be tried as an adult. Juveniles should not be tried as adults because their brains are not fully developed so they are not fully aware of what they are doing.

To start with, juvenile’s brains are not fully developed until they are at least

20 years or older. According to Young Adult Develop Project a human's brain is not fully developed till they are at least 20 years of age because they are not fully aware of what they are doing they do not have the same mentality as an adult. Lionel Tate was convicted of first-degree murder in 2001 for killing Tiffany Eunick, his 6-year-old playmate in July 1999. Tate says he didn't mean to kill her, he was just imitating some wrestling moves he had seen on television. Most of the juveniles come from an abusive home or see violence either on television or in their neighborhood and are influenced. They are still not able to make their own decisions and still need their parents guidance. Many may argue that these teenager’s parents do not have full control of their kid’s actions or reactions. Some parents raise their children to the best of their ability, but friends or society also seem to influence them greatly. Some parents are not always their for their kids which makes them give into peer pressure causing them to rebel. There should be some way for the juvenile to prove to the judge and peers that they have mentally changed their perspective and are willing to do things right the second time. Although there is no way to fully recover from the damage that was done, a life should not be thrown away completely but it should simply punished for their wrongful actions. Parents do have a great role in a child’s life, but we are all responsible for our own actions whether there is a positive or negative outcome.
Another reason why a teenager should not be tried as an adult is because it is not healthy for them, mentally and physically.

When a teenager gets tried as an adult they are separated due to rape and other things like being threatened because they are the youngest and most venerable in the facility. It would be logical to let the teen serve their time in a juvenile hall where they can focus on rehabilitation and their education as to having them be in a solitary confinement for about 22 hours and not letting them have any communication with other inmates(Why are We Trying). When the court systems sends a teenager to an adult facility they are throwing away the teens life, most people don't think of the long term effects it could cause on the teens life, for example if the teen were able to get out on parole the chance of them having a normal life would be nearly impossible. They would need to attend therapy regularly because of what they have been through, but they would also have an adult criminal record following them for the rest of their life making it hard for them to find a job and provide for themselves. It is not realist to be sentenced to life without parole, it is unreasonable for a young adult because it is like throwing away a life. While others may say there is not just one life being thrown away there is a huge amount of damage being made to the victim(s) and the victim’s family. Brenda Spencer is a great example of young teens killing due to peer pressure or

not being old enough to think things through. She proves that not all homicides are carefully processed before being committed. Brenda Spencer killed her principle and a custodian, a police officer and eight students at Cleveland Elementary School were injured. Brenda’s father knew Brenda used drugs and was a troubled kid, she constantly broke windows with her bb gun and he went ahead and bought her an actual gun for christmas.
More importantly, how can a teen be tried as an adult when they are incapable of thinking like one? Juveniles are not allowed to drive, drink, get married, or sign any legal contracts otherwise its not valid, the reason behind all of this is because teenagers lack the ability of making mature, responsible, well-processed decisions. What is the purpose of telling a child to stay in a child's place you are going to sentence them like an adult. If they are not able to vote until they are 18 then they should not be tried as an adult until they are 18. According to CHILDREN IN PRISON the rate in which juvenile violators of the law turn their lives around as opposed to older violators is remarkable. If teenagers were to get psychological guidance, rehabilitation, and a reasonable punishment would be efficient to teenagers who are convicted of crimes. Sentencing a 13-year old to life in prison seems morally unjust, especially if they were able to turn their life around with a bit of help. Ones brain is not fully developed until the age of 20, we lack the prefrontal cortex which is the lope of the brain that helps with reasoning and judgement. Teen also have a undeveloped cerebellum which is the area of the brain that helps control impulse (Human Brain: Facts). The prefrontal cortex and cerebellum is what separated us from a kid to an adult, how can a kid be expected to act like a fully matured adult. Kids know more or less what is right and what is wrong but studies have shown that teenagers have less patients and have less control than the average adult (Human Brain: Facts). A teenager should be punished when committing a crime not tried as an adult.
It isn't right to try an teenager as an adult or have them await trail in an adult facility. It is not mentally or physically healthy to send a teenager to an adult facility under solitary confinement for about 22 hours. If a parent were to treat their kid in that way it would be considered child abuse why is it okay for the court system to do it? A teenager should be punished for their mistake not tried as an adult. Sentence Juveniles as a juvenile, because that is what they are.