Introduction
Minors should not be tried as adults because they face critical risks that require ongoing rehabilitation and focus in order to prevent them from committing future crimes. When minors are combined with adults in the criminal justice system, they may face harsher penalties than that which is required to address their crimes. The treatment of these individuals after they have committed crimes requires a high level of focus and an understanding of their specific needs in order to ensure that their needs are properly addressed and that recidivism is the appropriate path towards recovery and improvements throughout the life span. This process enables minors to have a chance to make changes for themselves that will positively impact their lives over the long term, rather than placing them into a large system with little if any support or recognition for their specific needs.
Use your promo and get a custom paper on
"Solution to Problem and Advantages".
Analysis
For minors who have committed crimes and are placed into the criminal justice system, it is necessary to develop new strategies to address their punishment that do not coincide with placement into the adult population of offenders. This is a somewhat harsh punishment because it requires juveniles to be treated as adults, who are typically more mature and more capable of handling harsher sentences. However, juveniles possess a lower level of maturity and may be unable to manage a harsher sentence with a challenging outcome, particularly if they face the risks associated with the adult system. Juveniles should be tried in their own system because the sentences are likely to be less harsh and more appropriate for their needs, particularly if they have learned their lessons and recognize that they are able to reform their lives in one way or another. This process supports the belief that juveniles do not deserve the same punishment as adults, particularly if their crimes are less harsh in nature.
One advantage to trying juveniles in the juvenile justice system is a greater prevention of juveniles who are vulnerable to gang membership if they are tried in the adult system (Brown, 2013). In this context, juveniles require a higher level of support and guidance to prevent them from a string of activities that could be associated with violent crimes in the future, including those related to gang membership (Brown, 2013). If youth are exposed to adult criminals, they may become increasingly vulnerable to behaviors that could impact their lives in negative and even irreversible ways (Brown, 2013). As a result, it is important to identify the resources that are necessary to promote juveniles from a life of crime and into a life of positive and rewarding experiences that stimulate a full recovery from criminal behaviors (Brown, 2013). In this capacity, juveniles may be provided with a lighter sentence in exchange for the opportunity to rehabilitate in order to improve their lives and to recover from the experiences that led them to commit a crime.
In many respects, juveniles who commit crimes should be tried as juveniles in the justice system because this constitutes a level of congruency that will lead to fairer punishment and the potential for long-term recovery and greater achievement throughout the life span (Greenwood & Turner, 2011). This process also supports an ongoing level of engagement in the development of new strategies to ensure that the criminal justice system is fair to juveniles and does not impose the same degree of punishment that might impose a high level of restriction for an adult offender (Greenwood & Turner, 2011). In this capacity, a juvenile might not be able to recover effectively and could be threatened by a harsh sentence for the rest of his or her life (Greenwood & Turner, 2011). There are critical factors associated with this practice that negatively impact juveniles within the adult criminal justice system; therefore, they must be provided with an environment that will support them rather than work against them in their attempt to recognize the actions that they have taken and how to overcome these actions and their consequences in the future (Greenwood & Turner, 2011).
Finally, an advantage of trying juveniles in the juvenile justice system is that they are provided with a framework to address those with substance abuse issues that are impacting their lives in different ways (Carey et.al, 2013). In this context, juvenile offenders with drug or alcohol problems should never be combined with adult offenders, as they possess a credible opportunity to overcome these conditions and to be recognized for their potential to recover and to lead a life of normalcy in the future (Carey et.al, 2013). Therefore, substance abuse issues in juveniles should be addressed in a timely manner and not ignored by the masses, as the former will provide a framework for achieving greater success and recidivism during the recovery process (Carey et.al, 2013). From this perspective, juveniles deserve an opportunity to be treated for their substance abuse problems, rather than to refrain from dealing with these problems using the resources that are available to promote treatment and recovery for this group of young people (Carey et.al, 2013).
Conclusion
The utilization of the juvenile justice system for juvenile offenders is appropriate because it contributes to opportunities to improve outcomes for younger offenders and to pay the consequences for their actions through lighter sentencing to promote recovery and greater resiliency to lead a life of normalcy. These factors are instrumental in advancing an agenda that advocates for the juvenile justice system so that individuals are prepared to reenter the world with a new outlook on life and the ability to recover from their actions, to obtain treatment and/or therapy as necessary, and to recognize their ability to become active contributors throughout the life span.
- Brown, K. E. (2013). TITLE: To What Degree Does Length of Sentence, Age of Inmate, Race
and Ethnicity and Gang Membership Predict Misconduct Among Juveniles Who Are Tried and Sentenced in Adult Court? (Doctoral dissertation, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES). - Carey, S. M., Wormer, J. V., & Mackin, J. R. (2013). The Juvenile Drug Court Model: Let’s Not
Throw the Baby Out With the Bath Water. - Greenwood, P. W., & Turner, S. (2011). Juvenile crime and juvenile justice. Crime and public
policy, 88-129.
