Essay On Stricter Punishment For Juvenile Crimes

Essay On Stricter Punishment For Juvenile Crimes
Today in society juvenile justice has become a huge topic. We live in a world where teens are getting the same punishment as adults when they commit
a crime. There is a big argument on whether or not adolescents should receive such strict punishments since they are not adults. Children as young as
ten years old are being tried as an adult, and getting their whole childhood taken away from them. These children are left hopeless, abandoned, and
lonely. Not only are these children striped of there childhood, but they are never going to get a chance to live a normal life again. Stricter punishment is
not the answer for juvenile crimes because it gives juveniles a lack of hope, it puts them in danger of the other criminals, and they are too immature to
see they mistakes that they have made. Stricter punishment for juveniles only gives them lack of hope. They are extremely young, and the fact that
they know they will never go home again is terrifying for them. Juveniles in this position feel like since they will never get out of prison that they have
no purpose in life. These children are basically being told that they do not deserve a second chance at life. Here we have these young children that
are not very wise, and are easily peer pressured to do bad things doing serious time in prison. If they are not adults, and do...show more content...
Although it might stop them from ever doing anything again, that does not mean that their childhood should be taken from them. People can change
overtime, but if they have no hope the juveniles will act up in prison as well since they have nothing to lose. They are not ever getting a chance at life
again if they get life in prison without parole. This is cruel and unusual, and stricter punishment should not happen for juvenile
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Essay on Juvenile Crime and Punishment
Juvenile Crime and Punishment
The punishment of juvenile criminals, specifically those between the ages of 13 and 18, in the event that they commit crimes of murder, is not severe
enough. Minors between these critical ages in the teenage life who commit crimes of murder should be prosecuted as adults in all situations and
locations.
Teenagers in this age group do kill others, old and young alike. The rate at which juveniles were arrested for murder rose 177 percent between 1978
and 1993 (NBER.org). This shows that there is a need for stopping or at least slowing this trend in homicidal acts. Statistics clearly show that juviniles
between the ages of 14 and 17 during the years of 1976 to 1994 are increasing in numbers...show more content...
In fact, many schools and communities have increased security in the hope that this security will deter students from violent actions like murder. Many
families are severely affected as well. Just recently (October 22, 1999) Carla June Hochhalter, the mother of one of the students (Anne Marie
Hochhalter) injured in the Columbine High School tragedy, committed suicide because of the stress caused by her daughter's condition. This woman
could no longer bear the tragedy that was caused by two young men who weren't thinking how many lives they would shatter. Suicide is a terrible way
to handle situations, as the gunmen and mother of the injured girl did, but it does happen.
What happens to teenagers who commit homicide now varies depending on the location of the incident, home state of the murder(s), and scope of the
crime (e.g. were many killed or just one). After the Littleton shooting, Colorado lawmakers blocked votes on bills that would make it easier to carry
concealed weapons, banned lawsuits against manufacturers, and pre–empted local gun laws (usatoday.com/96). In states like Texas, the Houston First
District Court of Appeals upheld the Texas law that provides apunishment of life imprisonment upon conviction of capital murder by a certified
juvenile, which is a young adult ages 12 through 17 (tjpc).
All states should have the same laws as Texas when it comes to juvenile murder

Essay On Juvenile Sentencing
When it comes to kids, we tend to baby them. We organize their lives and set limits on everything. If they want to do something outside those limits
we tell them they are not old enough or they have not experienced enough of the world yet. After all, what can they possibly know about love, major
decisions, and what is best for them? Yet somehow, despite all this, when they commit a crime we turn into hypocrites. Magically, they are geniuses
who know everything about the world. In society's eyes, they are no longer a child, but a monster.
The Crime "Sentenced young: The story of life without parole for juvenile offenders" by Beth Schwartzapfel tells the story of two women: Jennifer
Pruitt and Donnell Miracle and the sad truth behind life sentences...show more content...
Even though she was not the one that killed Elmer Heichel and she was the one to call the police later, she still got a hefty sentence. If a case like this
occurred today and adult was in the same situation as Pruitt, I highly doubt they would have gotten such a high sentence. The study confirms this, as
juveniles receive longer sentences.
Article 2– Sexual Abuse and Recidivism
In this study, a group of juveniles were evaluated by completing a self– reported assessment, being interviewed by a psychologist, and having their
caretaker/guardian interviewed. The authors took this information and used demographics, substance abuse, psychiatric diagnosis, interviews,
standardized measures, legal history, and history of childhood sexual abuse to determine recidivism rates among juveniles. The participants were
monitored and after 12 months the authors gathered the data to determine what factors were key among those who had reoffended compared to those
that did not.
Results
This study revealed that 32% of males and 22% of female juveniles reoffended within 12 months (Conrad, Tolou–Shams, Rizzo, Placella, & Brown,
2014). Besides rates of recidivism, there were also factors that separated the sexes. Males tended to have more issues with drugs or alcohol and prior
offenses while females experienced more childhood sexual

Juvenile Crime Statistics Paper
University of Phoenix
CJA374
May 10, 2011
This paper will address and summarize four different points from the juvenile arrests bulletin from 2001. Such points included in the summary are the
overall decrease in juvenile arrests, the increase in drug offenses and simple assaults, implications for juvenile females and minorities, and last an
assessment of the tracking of juvenile arrests as a method of measuring the amount of and trends in juvenile crime.
In 2001 the juvenile violent crime index arrest rate declined for the seventh consecutive year. The rate increased dramatically from the late 1980's
through 1994 and then began its steady downward trend. By 2001...show more content...
The racial composition of juvenile population in 2001 was 78% white, 17% black, 4% Asian/pacific islander, and 1% American Indian. Most
Hispanics (an ethnic designation, not a race) were classified as white. Black youth were overrepresented in juvenile arrests for violent crimes. All
juvenile arrests for violent crimes break down like this 55% involved white youth, 43% involved black youth, 1% involved Asian youth, and 1%
involved American Indian youth.
Assessment of tracking juvenile arrests and crime is important to know so the government knows what laws are working and what laws need to be
revised. Murder arrests in 2001 were near their lowest levels since at least 1980 for both white and black youth. Between 1993 and 2001, murder
rates for white juveniles declined 62% while the rate for black juveniles declined 79%. In 2001 the robbery arrests rates for both black youth and
white youth were at a 20 year low. The 2001 aggravated assault arrest rate for black juveniles was much closer to its 1980 level than was the rate
for white juveniles. The juvenile arrest rates for weapons violations and murder more than doubled between 1987 and the peak year 1993. After
1993 both rates fell substantially the juvenile arrest rate for weapons law violations was cut in half falling 49% and returning to the 1987 level.
Between 1980 and 1993 the juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse violations remained within a limited range. Between 1993 and 1997 however the rate
grew 77% by

Juvenile Crime and Violence in Schools Essay
All Americans remember too well the morning of April 12, 1999, when two enraged students opened fire at Columbine High School. This act of
violence resulted in not only their own deaths but the deaths of many other innocent students and one teacher. However, this was not the first instance
of violence in schools. There have been many other occasions of violent behavior among school age children, some as young as eleven years old, the
past few years. We should carefully consider some possible causes of these tragedies, so we can seek a way to end them. Promotion of violence,
neglect of troubled children, and lack of parental involvement in their children's lives are all factors that could lead to violence in schools.
First, we must look...show more content...
Also, video games have gotten so violent that some have been rated MA for mature audiences only. In addition to these, the media promote "role
models" for children who have histories of violent behavior. Professional athletes, movie stars, and rock stars, whom children look up to, are in the
news daily for illegal, violent behavior. So the constant barrage of the media promoting violence has definitely played a part in making our society
more callous to human life, and thus more susceptible to violent acts.
Another factor influencing violence in schools is the neglect of troubled children. There are so many children crying out for help, and no one notices.
Patterns of anger, raging tempers, and aggressive behavior in children should be caught at an early age and dealt with before they become serious
problems. Children that exhibit signs of emotional disturbance should be sent to counseling and taught how to control their anger and behavior. Also,
threats made by children should be taken seriously. If people had not ignored the signs given by those two boys at Columbine, that tragedy could have
been averted. So we should not neglect troubled children if we hope to quell violence in schools.
Finally, the decrease in parental involvement in their children's lives has led to violence in schools. In our society, too many parents do

Juvenile Crime Essay example
Juvenile Crime
Introduction
Every year, millions of juveniles are involved in criminal activities. According to statistics, as of 1999, the arrest rate for juvenile crime has dropped
from its peak in the mid–1990's. Statistics about juvenile crime have shown a steady increase of juvenile arrests from 1987 to 1994. Although overall
crime rates have decreased since 1994, they are still above what they were in 1980. The following paragraphs and charts show the crime rates of
specific crimes committed by juveniles.
Statistics on Juvenile Crime Rates
In the year of 1999, law enforcement agencies made an estimated 2.5 million convictions of persons under the age of 18.
There were 28,000 arrests for robbery,...show more content...
Statistics on Juvenile Court Case Flow
Of every 1,000 petitioned adjudicated delinquency cases handled in 1997, 177 resulted in formal probation and 94 resulted in residential placement
following adjudication.
In many formally handled delinquency cases that did not result in juvenile court adjudication, the youth agreed to informal services or sanctions,
including out–of–home placement, informal probation, and other dispositions such as restitution.
In a small number of cases (13 of 1,000), the juvenile was adjudicated but the court closed the case with a stayed or suspended sentence, warned and
released the youth, or perhaps required the youth to write an essay. In such cases, the juvenile is not under any continuing court supervision.
Although juvenile courts handled more than 4 in 10 delinquency cases without the filing of a formal petition, more than half of these cases received
some form of court sanction, including probation or other dispositions such as restitution, community service, or referral to another agency. (http:/
/ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/delinquencytotal.html)
Note: All of the above graphs and charts were based on info from the OJJDP website.
Our group's opinion on juvenile crimes is that we think that someone who commits a serious crime like robbery, murder, assault and rape, knows what
they are doing is wrong. If a thirteen year old or even a ten year

Juvenile Crime Essay
One of the biggest problems which the United States is faced with is juvenile crime. The reason experts feel juvenile's commit crimes is because of
risk factors when they were younger but experts still have not found the main reason why juvenile's commit crimes. Some risk factors associated with
juvenile crime are poverty, repeated exposure to violence, drugs, easy access to firearms, unstable family life and family violence, delinquent peer
groups, and media violence. Especially the demise of family life, the effect of the media on the juveniles today, and the increase of firearms available
today have played a big role in the increase of juveniles crimes.
The
most common risk factor is the demise of the...show more content...
Another risk factor is the effect of the media on the juveniles of today. Before the time a child has reached seventh grade, the average child has
witnessed 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on the television. There is no doubt that heavy exposure to televised violence is one of the
causes of aggressive behavior, crime and violence in society. Television violence affects youngsters of all ages, of both genders, at all economic levels,
and all levels of intelligence. Long–term childhood exposure to television is a casual factor behind one half of the homicides committed by juveniles in
the United States.
The increased availability of guns has played a big part in escalating the number of crimes committed by juveniles.
In Los Angeles juvenile delinquency cases involving weapon violation grew by 86% from 1988 to 1992, which was more then any other type of
juvenile offense. According to a University of Michigan study found that 270,000 guns accompany secondary school students to class daily. This is
startling because it shows how many more juveniles are carrying guns and the juvenile use of guns in homicides has increased from 65 to 80 percent
from 1987 to 1991.
The possession of firearms plays a big cause in the delinquency of children and is playing a bigger role in the crimes which juveniles commit. Another
cause of the increase of juvenile crimes has been the
effect

Juvenile Sentencing : Juvenile Crime Essay
Juvenile Sentencing Juvenile crime has skyrocketed to an all–time high, mainly in the big cities. The major problem is kids doing crimes and not being
punish severely enough due to the lack of sentencing. Today's generation knows how to beat the system because of the sentencing guidelines. Most of
the kids in Florida knew that a simple misdemeanor charge they could be released the next day. During the years from 1997–2013 the amount of kids
committed to juvenile facilities has dropped from 75,000 to 35,000(Nicole D Porter) according to The Sentencing Project. The judges have their
hands tied because of obsolete laws, underfunding and no space to house them. Over 30 states are reforming the guidelines to lower the time
juvenile serves for crimes they have committed according to a report done in 2015 by The Sentencing Project. Some of them are pushing for
probation instead of being incarcerated. There are two resolutions to resolve the problem .First one is to change the outdated sentencing by writing
your congressional representative and secondly is to reinforce family values. Family is an important part of the problem. There are a lot of states that
use probation instead of jail time. This causes many juveniles to stay within the system because a lot of them violate the terms of their probation.
Furthermore, it is just another slap on the wrist for getting into more trouble. For example, probation was ordered in 53% of the 920,000 delinquency
cases that

Juvenile Crime Essay examples
Juvenile Crime
Juvenile crime rates have nearly doubled in most countries. In the news we keep hearing about youngsters got mixed up in shady affairs and
committing petty crimes. Firstly they just steal an apple from the market stands, then rob a small shop, next day we learn about a 17–year–old kid who
killed his classmates. People are concerned and rightly so.
That's all what we do or maybe give them a harsh punishment. It seems that the problem has only focused on punishment and very little on prevention
or intervention.
There is no single cause of violence but we can certainly list a lot of risk factors, which increase the development of delinquent behavior. These include
child abuse and family disintegration, violating...show more content...
Young people are allowed to live a totally free and undisciplined life in the dark streets of abandoned citydistricts. Getting a false image from these
places they are assured that the proper way of living is the one they experience there. Just following the bad example, without being aware of what they
are really doing,
The situation is the same with the violation, outrage, aggression fuelled by the media and computer games. Thousands of children sit down in front
of the television in the late evening to switch off a little bit. What do they get? Blood, fight, hatred, war and a superman who never dies. All that in
prime time. After that, what should we expect from our children? To kiss the little doll with love or play with the toy cars... That type of childhood is
out of fashion by now. They will rather continue the bloody scenes in their video games using the newest weapons to murder the "bad guys". The game
is never–ending because they have more lives. Most of the parents consider it as just like a game. But it's much more than that. Subconsciously
everything remains in their brains and reflex. On the other hand sitting all day long at the computer kids get isolated from their peers, friends and
social life, too. They don't communicate and thus fall out of the flow of real life. Losing their connections to the world they won't be able to make
realistic judgements leading them into crimes.
Young people should not be expected to have the same

Essay On Youth Crime
Introduction
The criminal activities done by youth who are under age of eighteen is called youth crime. There are many types of crime which are done by youth.
Property crime, drug offences, violent crime, common assault, mischief, break and enter, sexual assault, robbery all are included in crimes that youth
mostly do. Mostly youth commit crime by involving more than one person. In this paper, I will discuss different type of crime that youth do, how
Parental status effect youth to commit a crime, how government and police handle the situation when youth commits the crime and how Good
education can help to prevent a youth for committing the crimes. Youth had a double crime rate than older adults aged 25 and over.
Discussion
To begin...show more content...
First, at the individual level, youth whose parents are single or divorced commit more crime. Second, single–parent and divorced families are more
vulnerable and less likely to participate in community organizations, thus reducing the community's control capacity. Third, these families are also less
able to monitor activities in the neighborhood and supervise local youth (Sampson and Groves, 1989; Veysey and Messner, 1999)"( Wong, S. K.
(2017). The effects of single–mother and single–father families on youth crime: Examining five gender–related hypotheses. International Journal Of
Law, Crime & Justice, 5046–60. doi:10.1016/j.ijlcj.2017.04.001). Single parent families increase the number of youth crime. Every mother and child
had a strong bond by the birth of the baby compares with the bond of father. Single mother applies more influence of social control on their children's
then single fathers. Mothers has more effective role in her daughter's life and father have a more effective role in his son's life. The girls who lives
with their mother and the boys who lives with their father commit less crimes. "A number of studies found support for the same–sex hypothesis. Based
on a study of over 600 adolescents and parents, Thomas et al. (1996) found that White male adolescents living with the single mother without
nonresident father involvement had the highest levels of delinquency, drinking and illicit drug use" (Wong, S. K. (2017). The effects of single–mother
and

Juvenile Crimes
Juvenile crime is a growing problem that endangers virtually every American. Juvenile delinquency is enormously damaging to the health and
well–being of the nations families and communities. A juvenile crime can consist of DUI, robbery, rape, minor in possession, weapon in possession
anything an adult can be charged with. Individuals under the age of eighteen who commit these crimes can be charged as a juvenile delinquent.
Statistics show that most juveniles that commit crimes are in a gang; weather its street related or school related. The average cost of caring for an
incarcerated juvenile is more than $40,000 a year. Vandalism in schools cost more than two
–hundred million a year, and vandalism directed at personal
property is even...show more content...
Some juveniles commit crimes because of poor parenting skills, because most parents do not page close attentions to their child and give them the
attention they ask for. Not knowing what your child is doing are not having any thing to do with your child's life is poor relationships between children
and parents. According to Eric Lotke, "the numbers of juvenile homicides with firearm are starting to spiral upwards while the number of non–firearm
homicides stays steady or is decreasing. Lotke and others contend that guns have led to higher rates of violence because they have replaced less fatal
weapons. While juveniles use to fight with fits and knives they now resolve disputes with lethal firearms (qtd in Ojeda 53).Preventing juvenile crime is
very hard to do. Recently authorities have tried various means of addressing the problem of juvenile crime including teenage curfew laws, parental
responsibility laws, and after–school and early intervention programs (qtd in Ojeda 129). Family interactions have greater influence on delinquency. To
prevent juvenile delinquency one should spend more time with their child, and be more controlling. If the parent feels like he or she can not control the
child they should seek for assistance by calling social services. Parents should educate their child about the dangerous parts of drug use. Most parents
should put their child in after school activities, such as community services,

The Evolution Of Youth Crime
Youth crime has vastly changed compared to how it was seen 10 years ago, and will likely be much different 10 years from today. Over the years,
types of crimes committed by youth have changed, and the overall seriousness of crimes has reduced over time as well (Carrington, 2013). These
changes in crime statistics can vastly change how police agencies respond and react to youth crime, and can often be misconstrued to make public feel
a state of moral panic. Youth are also becoming increasingly involved in gangs and gang violence, which is making police agencies think out of the
box to prevent violent victimization of youths in gangs. Through the process of evolution of youth crime, it is imperative that police agencies remain
vigilant, proactive, and aware of how they can intervene with at–risk youth and prevent them from becoming involved in criminal activities.
Seriousness and Exaggeration of Youth Crime Upon evaluation of four analyses and surveys used to evaluate the seriousness of crime between 1984
and 2011, it was evident that the crime has become less serious over the past years when applying the seriousness measurement scale from Statistics
Canada (Carrington, 2013, p. 308). Examples of this scale include first–degree murder carrying a measure of 7,042 points on the scale, and the other
end consisting of cannabis possession for 7 points (Carrington, 2013, p. 299). In between these values, Carrington points out that most crimes
committed by youth are on the lower

Juvinle Crimes: Juvenile Crime
Juvenile Crimes: There are many crimes that juvenile's do that can put them in juvie for a short time, or even a long time, it depends on how bad
their charge is against them. There are many crimes that juvenile's do like : alcohol, battery, Violations, truancy, harassment, traffic violation,
fraud, and Burglary. There are places that can help you if you dealing with people that are juvenile's, or you are a juvenile. One place that you can go
to for help is counselling. Another one would be therapy, if you really need help, like major help you would need to go to therapy. The last place you
get help from is restart, a place you get help you are in need for some support. The crimes in 2015: from kids aged 10 to 18 is 52% of homicides,

Juvenile Crime Theories
When looking at all the different theories they all have something common. They are just a theory. What I mean by this is they are a thought or
suggestion of how things happen or work. The reality is some theories are good and plausible. Others on the other hand not so much. All of Chapter 4
is all about the different theories. So this paper is a summary of some of those theories. The first theory to look at is what happened in the very
beginning with criminal justice and juveniles. What theories came to be were quite amusing. This is an attempt to explain why juveniles are
delinquent. For example, one theory suggests that if a child is abused then they will be a delinquent (Cox, Allen, Hanser, & Conrad, 2014). This is a
wide assumption to make.
Another theory to look at is classical theory, which just means getting tough on crime (Cox et al, 2014). Each time crime comes up it has changed
over the years. Furthermore, demonology is another great example. This means that demons exist inside somebody and the only way to relieve this
person of that demon is to drill a hole in their head (Cox, et al, 2014).
The next interesting theory was in the 20th century called the rational choice theory, which consists of people committing crimes through risk or
reward (Cox et al, 2014). This means that they are thinking about the crime, and which route...show more content...
These types of thoughts and perceptions are important to know when looking at the deterrence theory. The next one that is applied is called routine
activities theory. This is means what people do in their everyday routine (Cox et al, 2014). This theory is important to consider when looking at
people who become victims because of everyday routine. Or that person who is asleep at 1 in the morning compared to the person out partying at 1 in
the morning. The person out really late could run into more

Juvenile Justice Essay
In today's society, it would be assumptive that the juvenile justice system would take the necessary precautions to preserve and or rehabilitate the
juveniles that are present in its system. With this in mind adolescents still, face sentencing of life without the possibility of parole and trials transferred
to adult court. When you think of adolescence, the term development or puberty may come to mind. Teens or pre– teens are still in developmental
stages of their lives and tend not to think or act on the level that an adult would. Juvenile justice focuses on the mere ideal that juveniles are not adults
and should not be treated or tried as such. Heinous crimes, such as murder, could possibly draw a wedge between this thought. Taking the life...show
more content...
On my behalf, there is no compliance to the sentencing made as well as how things played out in these court cases. In addition, there is no compliance
in the charge of murder a lesser charge could have been presented to include the circumstances of each of the individuals. Additionally, there is no
compliance on the option to transfer the cases from juvenile court to adult court. In Colorado's story, that characterized the peak in crime between the
years of 1992 to 1993, there was no compliance in how there came the option to give harsher punishments. There is no impression that a harsher
sentencing would have prevented crime during that time in the cases presented with the level of abuse endured by the accused something violent was
bound to happen sooner than later. In addition, during the trial of the second case, violence was still at its peak in Colorado and the Columbine
shootings could have influenced the outcome of the verdicts in the case. As for compliance, all would agree that some level of punishment should
follow the malicious act of murder. The length of punishment is where the controversy came in the cases present. Joining with the parents in the
second case forming an organization is a good approach in preventing similar outcomes in future cases. It is agreeable that educating the public and
working with state legislature will aid in delayed life sentencing in juvenile

Juveniles And Crime
According to the text, the societal view regarding, "juveniles are not found 'guilty' of committing crimes (cripe, pg. ). The term "guilty" connote
criminality. Based on the English legal system, children do not have the mental capacity to commit crime, therefore are not responsible for their acts.
As a result, juveniles are treated under special rules that are designed for their protection. Juveniles are processed in special court which is not open
to the public. Additionally, juvenile records are sealed from the public scrutiny. In society views, juvenile are incapable to protect themselves because
they are not mature enough, as a result, it is up to the government to act as their protector. I believe age is the best way to determine if an

juvenile crime Essay
To many Americans today, the country is a hostage–but not from oversea terrorism as one might expect to think. No today, we live in fear from our
own children; and these are the same young people who we are entrusting the future of this great country with. According to the Department of Justice
report released in November, thirty–eight percent of those arrested for weapons offenses in 1995 were under the age of eighteen (Curriden). In the
same report, the Bureau of Justice Statistics stated that in 1995, 3 out of every 100 eighteen–year–olds were arrested for weapons offenses. A rate three
times higher than for males twenty–five to twenty–nine and five times higher than for males thirty to thirty–four (Curriden)....show more content...
Juveniles should receive capitol punishment, they should be imprisoned with adults so that maybe, just maybe we can get to the ones that still have a
chance and make a difference for them as well as us. In San Antonio, Texas, in 1995 Victoria Dalton a thirteen year old girl, is convicted of smothering
two small children left in her care. When interrogated and asked why and how could she do such a thing, her reply was, "They just wouldn't shut up!".
Apparently Victoria suffers from migraine headaches, and the two children had pushed her pass her limit. Later during her arrainement, Victoria stated
to the judge that she was only thirteen and wondered why she couldn't go home yet (Edmonds).
Fifteen hundred miles away, in Portland, Oregon Brandon Roses ten is found guilty of murdering his five–year–old sister because he claimed that she
was annoying him. Later investigators found out that Brandon's father had told him that killing his sister was "OK", because he was too young to be
put in jail. Another investigation is currently under way (Edmonds). In Austin, Texas, two young men Efrain Perez and Raul Villareal were both
seventeen in June of 1993. As part of Villareal's gang initiation, the boys spent the evening in an open field drinking and fighting among

Juvenile Justice Essay
Juvenile Justice
By:Bill
In today's society juveniles are being tried in adult courts, given the death penalty, and sent to prison. Should fourteen–year olds accused of murder or
rape automatically be tried as adults? Should six–teen year olds and seven–teen year olds tried in adult courts be forced to serve time in adult prisons,
where they are more likely to be sexually assaulted and to become repeat offenders. How much discretion should a judge have in deciding the fate of a
juvenile accused of a crime – serious, violent, or otherwise? The juvenile crime rate that was so alarming a few years ago has begun to fall – juvenile
felony arrest rates in California have declined by more than forty percent in the last twenty years. While...show more content...
This new law puts youth into the adult system, allowing youth to be mixed with adults in prison. Sending youth as young as fourteen to the adult court
system rather than to juvenile court. It threatens privacy and civil liberties. Allowing the public, including schools and employers, to review juvenile
court records by removing the "confidentiality" rules that permit young offenders to go back to school or find jobs without being labeled a
criminal for life. Allowing wiretapping of those the government thinks are "gang" members, which is defined as an informal group of three
or more people, and creating "gang" registration requirements and procedures for adults and juveniles convicted or found by the court for
gang–related offenses. It creates punishment that does not fit the crime. Lowering felony vandalism such as graffiti from over $50,000 to over $400 in
damages and increases the minimum penalty to one year in jail and thousands of dollars in fines. Making "conspiracy," or just knowing a
gang crime will be committed, a crime. Expanding the "three strikes" laws to make sentences much longer for youth. Expanding the death
penalty. Eliminating probation eligibility for many youth, creating stricter probation rules for those who are eligible, and making it easier for youth to
be moved from probation to prison. It has no

Youth in Crime Essay
Melanie Requena
December 3, 2012 Essay # 5
Stereotyping happens all the time, more than people seem to believe it does. Appearance, location, and race all deal with how people as well as
police authority characterize individuals without truly knowing how that person is. Race is one of the biggest factors when it comes to
criminalization because of what people see on the media and from what they are told. It usually is the younger generation that are viewed as
criminals not only because of where they live and who they associate themselves with, or with what is seen on the media but also because some
young people come from a family history of criminals. The issue here is that not all young people are criminals; but when living in...show more
content...
The media is a source of contribution to how society believes that police figures should punish certain races because they believe that a certain race is
more of a threat to them and their community than another race.
In spite of the media and police authorities determining who are the main race/group of criminals; this does not take away from the other issue that
youngsters face. Even though they come from a area of high crime rates, and/or come from the same racial background that is sought out to be a
threat to others, a wide group of these youngsters are ones that are not involved in any act of crime, or gang, they go to school, and participate in
community programs, but yet are still stereotyped as criminals because of their appearance. According to Rios who interviewed a boy named J.T.
he states, "Despite actively avoiding delinquency and never being arrested or suspended, J.T. believed that sometimes he was treated worse than
his delinquent peers" (143). J.T. also told Rios that even though he tried to stay away from trouble, authority figures often implicated him in the
deviance and crime that his friends committed, (143). This was a boy who got good grades in school, had a mother who worked hard, who did
what she could to discipline him well, and who participated in an afterschool program at the ESYC, but since he had friends who were involved in
gangs, or other types of crime he was also seen as guilty. Many young boys try and avoid

Essay On Stricter Punishment For Juvenile Crimes

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Essay On Stricter Punishment For Juvenile Crimes