Age Of Responsibility In North America

In opposition to North America, stands Norway. Crime rates are not only dependent on the citizens of a country, but also on the age of criminal responsibility. The lower the age, the more likely that crime rates will be higher since there is more to be accounted for. Different countries will have different ages of criminal responsibility since these ages are determined by the leaders of the law regarding whether or not a child is capable of committing and understanding a crime. In Norway, the age of responsibility is fifteen, in Canada it is twelve and, lastly, the United States of America has deemed the age to be only a mere six years old. A difference of nine years between Norway and America’s ages of responsibility does not really make any …show more content…
North America needs to learn from mistakes made in the past and aim towards reaching the level that Norway is sitting at. It is not okay to treat those guilty of a crime like they are any less of a person. Beating, starving and harassing the prisoners is as inhumane as doing the same to someone on the street. The only difference is the view that people have on criminals versus the view that people have towards the average person. In this society, we are taught to do as we are told and always do the right thing. We are raised in a society that strips certain individuals of their human rights just because they have made a mistake or two and we are taught to look down upon them. Everybody deserves fairness and equality and that needs to be demonstrated as far as possible, even in the justice system. If someone commits a crime, they should go to jail - that is a common thread amongst many countries - but they should not be crowded into cells with twenty-three other people, beaten, starved and raped. In Canada and the United States, our jails are horrible and so far off from normal life that it is no wonder the recidivism rates are higher than Norway’s. In the United States, the recidivism rate is 76.6% and in Canada, it is 35%; yes, Canada is much better, but not when in comparison with Norway, which is 20% - one of the best in the …show more content…
North America’s justice system does the opposite by focusing on punishment. It is possible for Canada and the United States to start taking steps in the right direction, but in order to do so, the outlook towards criminals will have to be different. North America should take a page out of Norway’s Crime & Punishment Guidelines and learn how to replace their violent, negligent ways with more restorative ones. Instead of beating, humiliating and disrespecting inmates, Canadian and American correctional officers need to do what the Norwegian officers do. Respect and equality is important in the rehabilitation process. It has been proven to be successful in Norway and it is definitely possible in North America as