Why is it always that the justice system in this country points fingers and creates unprincipled assumptions about juveniles? It seems nowadays that they try to dehumanize juveniles without giving them a second chance. It is obvious that juveniles should not be tried as adults for violent crimes simply because they won't be able to change their ways in prisons. Also, as juveniles, they are already subject to a lack of moral judgment and are often times heavily influenced by their parents.
First, rehabilitation in prisons is unlikely to happen for juveniles. A recent article done by PBS has shown that rehabilitation for juveniles has a small success rate. According to the article, "A 1996 Florida study authored by Northeastern University researcher Donna Bishop also found that juveniles transferred to the criminal justice system were not less likely to reoffend, but in fact often have higher rates of recidivism...Bishop and her colleagues found that although juveniles tried as adults were more likely to be incarcerated, and incarcerated for longer than those who remained in the juvenile system, they also had a higher recidivism rate. Within two years, they were more likely to reoffend, to reoffend earlier, and to commit more subsequent offenses than juveniles retained in the juvenile system. Following the same offenders six years after their initial study, the researchers agin found higher recidivism rates for most juveniles transferred to criminal court." In addition, the Southern Poverty Law Center did a case study on two juveniles who had been tried and are currently in the Alabama prison since the age of 16. As stated in the study, "During their time in adult lock-up, prisoners such as Patrick often witness brutal inmate-on-inmate violence. And they are more likely to be victimized sexually. Derrick* has been fending off sexual advances and assaults since arriving at a prison in Alabama at age 16. Many young inmates simply submit to older inmates because they know the guards probably won't help them." These pieces of evidence show that prisons only victimize and promote more violence in juveniles.
Additionally, juveniles should not be charged as adults because of their clear lack of moral judgement given their age. This means that they are much more susceptible to making bad choices without actually thinking about it. As told by Support2ndchance, "Psychological research confirms what every parent knows: children, including teenagers, act more irrationally and immaturely than adults. Studies further confirm that stressful situations only heighten the risk that emotion rather than rational thought, will guide the choices children make." Furthermore, it is a well-known fact that adolescent brains are not fully developed yet. The article also stated that, "With appropriate treatment, most children who commit crimes, even the most violent crimes, can be rehabilitated and become responsible adults — precisely because their brains are still changing. The prefrontal cortex/ which regulates aggression, long range planning, mental flexibility, abstract thinking, and perhaps moral judgement has not yet developed in children. The amygdala, the center of impulsive and aggressive behavior is the centerpiece of the cold brain and is left unchecked by the underdeveloped prefrontal cortex."
Lastly, the previously mentioned point directly segues to the last reason why juveniles should not be tried as adults: parents may also be to blame. For instance, in December 1992, 15-year-old Jacob Ind had murdered his mother and stepfather after years of abuse. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life without parole. Jacob's sentence could have been shortened if investigated by school officials, social workers, and both prosecution and defense authorities to understand the situation at home.
All in all, children are children — not adults. They aren't allotted the same rights and responsibilities as adults such as voting smoking, or joining the military. Therefore, how can we say that they should be treated as adults and be locked away in prisons?
