Juvenile Court System

Should Juveniles be tried as Adults? Draft #1

Juvenile court systems are the first line of defence against youth crimes. This system is quickly failing to produce the appropriate punishments for major youth crimes passing the responsibility to the guardians and off of the child. Supporting the trial of juveniles as adults is imperative in creating a safe and secure society. The Juvenile system is often criticised for being highly flawed, the system based off of rehabilitation minimalizes the seriousness of the crime committed. Firstly, the current system ineffectively labels Juvenile crimes for what they are. Juvenile courts wrongly label serious crimes such as murder, rape, and armed robbery as juvenile delinquencies (Jensen). As well …show more content…
Firstly, most children begin to develop habits at a young age, and these habits continue to develop as they grow up. In an article that compare’s the pros and cons of trying Juveniles as adults it states, “Typically, juveniles who display an [inclination] for committing crime will continue to do so, even as they get older”. Working towards harsh punishments for juvenile offenders is taking a step in the direction of preventing crimes in the first place. The implementation of more harsh punishments such as those in adult system, are likely to aid in stunting the reckless behaviours in their tracks by discouraging crime in the first place. Secondly, rehabilitation through harsh punishments are more likely to create a greater change in attitude. An article from Aspecsec states, “Spending a few nights in jail can often be a wake up call, causing the Juvenile to make necessary life style changes”. Implementing more serious consequences such as trying youth in adult courts, is likely to cause a direct life style change. These life style changes are crucial in inspiring and deterring fellow youth from committing these nonsensical crimes. Implementing harsh punishments for juveniles within the adult court is an effective way to work towards a solution to lowering overall crime …show more content…
Firstly, the behaviours that cause juveniles to be less likely to consider punishment, are present in those beyond eighteen. An article on Juvenile punishment states, “The same characteristics that make those under eighteen less likely to think about punishment are present in people ages eighteen to twenty-five as well”(Shust). This follows in hand that one’s moral culpability does not change in the day’s leading up to someone’s eighteenth birthday. And that if those who have the same moral culpability as a juvenile offender can be tried in an adult, should be tried within the same court system. Furthermore, holding youth morally culpable for their actions is important in order to produce results in responsibility. As stated in an article written by Kelsey Shust, “parents are often held partially responsible for juvenile crime”. When a Juvenile offender commits a crime, and is issued a punishment their parents are often given a fine. This teaches young offenders that they are not solely responsible for their actions that they share the blame with their parents. This gives definitive evidence that it is irresponsible to believe that juveniles are not morally culpable enough to understand their possible