Essay On Prosecuting Juveniles As Adults

Prosecuting Minors as Adults People have been arguing whether minors should be tried for murder as adults for many years now. There are many opinions on how juveniles should be prosecuted. Who is to blame? Society? Juveniles today are subjected to music, movies, tv shows, and even video games that involve criminal activity and violence. There are laws in place on how to handle juvenile crimes, but they vary among each state. Anyone who has committed a serious crime, like a murder, should be tried as an adult. Those found guilty should be punished for their crime regardless of the age. We are experiencing an epidemic in the increase of juveniles committing violent crimes. The criminal justice system needs to be revised, punishing individuals for crimes committed, and reinforcing the law. The juvenile system was intended to rehabilitate for non serious crimes and not for violent crimes such as murder. Adolescents who commit crimes are criminals. The subject of trying juveniles as adults has become controversial. When …show more content…
This point makes sense because research revealed how adolescent brain functioning differs from that of adults which affects behavior and the decision-making processes. Professor Elizabeth Scott, from Columbia Law School, explored the Criminal Justice and the Juvenile Brain in 2013. She stated, “the idea is, because of their immature brains, adolescents may be more likely to engage and reckless and sensation-seeking behavior and to get involved in criminal activity”. Her research is already having a huge impact on law and policy. However, I believe juveniles understand that committing murder is a crime and if caught they know they will face the consequences of their actions. However, the scientific study regarding brain functioning could differ due to an underling mental disorder in both juveniles and