As child crime rate is rising through the nation, many things are being done in order to reverse that. About one hundred years ago, a separate justice system was made for the protection of minors called the Juvenile Justice System (Williams). The system was created to help enforce rehabilitation for children, not to punish them (Williams). However, rehabilitation is not effective enough. Statistics show that there is a very small decrease in crime after children are released from rehabilitation. People are starting to believe that a child cannot change his or her way of life once they have committed a crime (Williams). Typically a child who has been charged with a felony is only sentenced until they are around eighteen to twenty-five
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Throughout the states more laws have been set in place to try to keep children from committing dangerous and violent crimes (Juszkiewicz). These laws involve sending juveniles to adult criminal court’s (Juskiewicz). Some of the new laws that involve sending a child to a criminal court include lowering the age at which juveniles can be tried as an adult, widening the range of crimes at which children are automatically sent to adult courts, and allowing prosecutors to have “exclusive authority” while deciding if a child should be tried as an adult or not …show more content…
Scientific research has shown that the frontal lobe of a child’s brain is not yet fully developed; therefore, affecting the child’s ability to regulate his or her aggression and to understand the consequences of the action that he or she has made (Human Rights Watch). Consequently, the child will act more impulsively and irrationally, because his or her brain is not fully developed (Human Rights Watch). Just as children lack the ability to make thorough, more sophisticated decisions like adults can; studies have also shown that a child’s immaturity affects his or her behavior, attitudes, choices, ability to control impulses, and consider other options for his or her action (Days III). A child’s immaturity may also result in a conviction for a crime that the child did not commit (Days III). Although a child is not yet fully developed, he or she should still be help accountable and punished for his or her own actions so they do not recommit the same crimes or new
Throughout the states more laws have been set in place to try to keep children from committing dangerous and violent crimes (Juszkiewicz). These laws involve sending juveniles to adult criminal court’s (Juskiewicz). Some of the new laws that involve sending a child to a criminal court include lowering the age at which juveniles can be tried as an adult, widening the range of crimes at which children are automatically sent to adult courts, and allowing prosecutors to have “exclusive authority” while deciding if a child should be tried as an adult or not …show more content…
Scientific research has shown that the frontal lobe of a child’s brain is not yet fully developed; therefore, affecting the child’s ability to regulate his or her aggression and to understand the consequences of the action that he or she has made (Human Rights Watch). Consequently, the child will act more impulsively and irrationally, because his or her brain is not fully developed (Human Rights Watch). Just as children lack the ability to make thorough, more sophisticated decisions like adults can; studies have also shown that a child’s immaturity affects his or her behavior, attitudes, choices, ability to control impulses, and consider other options for his or her action (Days III). A child’s immaturity may also result in a conviction for a crime that the child did not commit (Days III). Although a child is not yet fully developed, he or she should still be help accountable and punished for his or her own actions so they do not recommit the same crimes or new