juvenile JUSTICE??
The following ARTICLE focuses on the how we should treat juveniles who commit heinous crimes in the U.S.A. Should we lock up kids for long-term sentences as well as life sentences? Does a 13-year old who murders someone deserve life in prison without parole? What do you think and why?
I seriously think that locking up kids for long-term sentences would be more sufficient than locking them up for life without parole. Depending on how old you are, kids who murder definitely needs to be punish for it and have justice prevail. Also, depending if this is their first offense, they should deserve a long-term punishment (for murder) instead but if it’s their third or fourth offense, then I think that something should definitely be done and life without parole should do just that.
I also believe that locking up kids for a long term sentences with the option for parole would be better than just locking them up for life. I feel that the age of the child should be taken into account too, and the number of crimes the child committed. I think it’s annoying when kids commit crimes, and the parents get punished because these kids seriously know the difference between right and wrong and I feel that they are just taking advantage of the system.
When someone is a juvenille, they have the potenial and time left to learn and be molded. Locking up a juvenille will do nothing, but take away yet another life. I believe they should be punished, but in a manner that would produce a memeber to better society.
I think it depends on the age of the juvenile. I think there is a difference between a thirteen year old committing a crime and a seventeen year old committing a crime because of brain development. Also, I think it depends on the severity of the crime. For the most part, I think that most juveniles should not be locked up for life in prison without parole because at these ages the brain is still developing. With time, brain development and thinking process matures. There is potential for the juvenile to change and learn. I think that these juveniles should be punished but I am not sure long sentences are the best rehabilitative procedure that these juveniles need.
I believe that when someone commits a crime they should be punished regardless of their age, race, ethnicity or gender. In the United States juveniles are locked up for long-term sentences many without parole for horrendous crimes. This should not be changed as a human learns right from wrong at a very early age and therefore is responsible for his/her actions from the very beginning. By omitting juveniles from being locked up until a certain age, the urgency to commit a horrendous crime before the omitted age period is over is greatly increased. Therefore, no matter what all humans are responsible for his/her actions and therefore juveniles should not be omitted from this standard.
I agree with Miranda that if you commit a crime you should be held accountable for it no matter what age, race, or gender you are. I believe that children learn at an early age what is right and what is wrong, but they may not realize how severe the consequences are when you make a wrong decision. I believe that kids should be locked up for long-term sentences, especially if they commit a violent crime like rape or murder. If they are let off easy then how are they going to learn from their mistakes? On the other hand, I don’t know if I agree that they should be sentenced for life without parole, because you change a lot from the time you are 13 to the age of even 18. If they have a long-term sentence they have time to mature and realize their consequences. It’s hard for me to be able to say let a killer have a second chance at life, but I think if they commit this act at a young age (mainly under 15) they have time to change their ways.
A 17 year old that kidnaps, strangles and kills a 12 year old girl. Is it just me or does age have nothing to do with this? Look at what he did. those are adult actions, and deserve adult consequences. A year away from being an statutory adult, you should know the difference between right and wrong.
If a 13 year old kills another person, odds are there is something more that we cannot see. How did the 13 year old learn…or think that killing another person would solve a problem? What is his family life like? What are his personal situations? At 13 there are so many environmental factors that are still shaping you into the adult that you are going to be. Though the action was taken out by the 13 year old, there had to be something that MADE him or her do it.
I’m all about punishing offenders, but we have to look at the reasons why.
I think that the sentencing of juveniles should vary depending on several factors. If a kid is unable to understand what he/she did because of mental illness or other deficiencies than that has to be considered. If a kid has been abused physically and/or sexually leading up to a crime than that should be considered as well. I think that kids become adults much quicker these days, and that understanding of right and wrong is formed very early in life for people with average reasoning skills. If a juvenile is mentally competent, and premeditates the committal of a violent crime, including murder and/or sexual assault, than he/she should be sentenced as an adult. I also believe that offenders older than 16 who are mentally competent, and who commit especially violent crimes, similar to the Danni Bromig rape/murder, should be subjected to the death penalty.
This subject is really tough cause i think someone who is 15-17 should be more likely to be given a life sentence where as a 13 year old i dont think it would be right to put them in jail for life without parole, i mean honestly a 13 year old. The only problem is that it is really unfair to start picking ages. Overall i think it should be the judges decision and the judge should make a decision that makes sense. I always look at the kid who was really young and killed that little girl wresting. That very easily could have been accidental and now that kid is going to spend the rest of his life in jail, that is ridiculous i mean just think about how scared he and his mother our especially since he wasnt really a bad kid. Now if he was a bad kid who planned it and knew how to break her neck then i could understand like a 50 year sentence at most, but life is a harsh sentence for someone that young.
I do not think a juvenile should be locked up for life without parole. Being that they are not an adult yet, they do not have the maturity an adult has and should not be expected to have the same punishment as an adult. There is a reason that you can not vote,get married or do anything legal until you are 18 or 21. Along with maturity there is the physical, mental and emotional elements that need to be in place. Would a normal two or three year old be ready to go to kindergarten? A juvenile has the potential to change and turn his life around.I think it is an individual thing, and the person has to be given the chance to see if he is sincere and really has changed on whether he should be relaesed or not. For some people in prison it is a wake up call and they have seen the error of their ways. Others may be as mean spirited as they were when they came in and would be a risk for the outside world. For those who truely have changed and are remorseful like Desamour, it would be cruel to keep them locked up and not be able to help others and live a respectful life like he is doing.
First, I think our criminal justice system is severely flawed. It is hard to vouch for systems and forms of punishment that have obvious pitfalls. I think that just throwing a juvenile (or an adult) into prison without applying other measures (such as psychological therapy and testing and regular assessments of emotional and cognitive ability on all inmates (especially juveniles), and various forms of assistance to family members of both the victims and perpetrators)) is pretty stupid. Having said that, I think that Brian Bahr deserves to be euthanized…but I don’t know how I feel about capital punishment. Bahr’s intentions were far worse than other kinds of murder cases.
Quantel Lotts was a 14 year old who stabbed his brother twice in “horse-play” and didn’t seem to understand the consequences of his behavior when it went on – or even consider that it might be a bad idea to use knives in “horse-play.”
Edwin Desamour’s conviction of third-degree murder at the age of 16 could have been reduced to a situational misfortune involving at-risk teens — had Daily not been killed. In fact, his case may have not even made it to court if Daily had lived.
I think that, at the time of their offenses, Lotts and Desamour both lacked some form of logic and suffered from stresses that are specific to juveniles. Because of this, I don’t think the option of parole should be banned from juveniles, but I think it should not always be option.
There is so much more to be said for the families and lives the kids come from – but I shall digress. It is hard to make just a small comment about such a high-impact issue.
i believe that our justice system is flawed enough though i know ours is the best there is. when it comes to jueveniles we are realy missing the boat. children don’t process things the way adults do their brains are still developing especialy in the area of concesquences. it is 100 % wrong to punish children like adults not to mention that there is a greater chance of reabilitating children if they reciece the interventions and services they need to do so. you especialy don’t want to make things worse instead of better.
It obviously always depends on the situation of the crime and whether the child has committed continuous crimes but all in all I don’t think it’s s good idea to lock up a child for life. What is the point of their life then? I don’t see what that would help; I like the idea of getting the children help and keeping a close eye on their actions while giving them a chance to change who they can turn out to be as adults.
Because of the fact that this child is only 13, I don’t know if life in prison would be the answer. Sure they would feel the imact of that punishment but what does that 13 year old have left? He isn’t given the chance to show that he has changed but instead all he has left is to spend his life behind bars. I don’t understand how that is useful. I would rather help and assist this troubled child into changing himself because he/she could end up like any other child. In fact, they could end up like Desamour who changed his ways because he was given the chance; now he helps kids who are in trouble just like he was because he knows now that what he did was wrong.
I think it has to be dealt with on a case to case bases but i definatly think that they should have a long term sentace because if not then as a kid if they aren’t punished then they wont learn and think is ok to kill someone and they could do it again, but if they have a long sentence and learn from it then they could still be molded and turned into a better person and a good person in society. But just locking them up for the rest of there life would just be a waste of a life and we shouldn’t just do that to someone so young
I personally think he does deserve life in prison without parole because he committed the crime so now he has to suffer the consequences. It shouldn’t matter what age you are, if you commit a crime then you deserve whatever consequence you are given. It’s sad to see a little kid locked up the rest of their life but I think that’s the only way it’s going to be fair.