Essay on Juvenile Justice System

Imagine a 15-year-old sharing the same prison cell as a 40-year-old who is serving a life sentence for murder; this is a reality in some states around the U.S. The juvenile justice system is set in place to ensure that juveniles are properly sentenced according to their crime. But in some cases that are more serious, such as murder, youth are tried as adults. This means juveniles are put through the adult justice system and are potentially sentenced to life in prison with adults. There are many cases where a juvenile is unfairly and harshly sentenced as an adult without having key factors looked at carefully. Juveniles should only be tried as adults for serious crimes after factors such as their background and mental state are taken into consideration. 

A juvenile's brain is not as fully developed as an adult’s. A human's brain does not complete development until around the age of 25 years. More specifically, one region of the brain that is underdeveloped and matures the slowest is the frontal lobe which is responsible for decision making. This means that teens cannot make as critical and well thought out decisions at the same capacity as an adult. Paul Thompson, Professor of Neurology, Ophthalmology, Radiology, Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, and the Engineering Associate Director at USC, mentions how through his research noticed a loss of brain tissue in teenagers. These brain tissues lost during these years are the areas that support all thinking and emotions. Professor Thompson further notes,  “Brain cells and connections are only being lost in the areas controlling impulses, risk­-taking and self­-control. These frontal lobes, which inhibit our violent passions, rash actions, and regulate our emotions, are vastly immature throughout the teenage years”(Thompson 2). Due to this loss in brain tissue in the frontal lobe, teens cannot fully comprehend what their actions will cause, and in most cases, teens act on impulse without thinking about their action in the first place. So why would someone who cannot make clear judgments and rational decisions be treated as if they can? This is the problem with juveniles being tried as adults. The teen brain should not be treated as an adult brain.   

Treating juveniles as adults does not benefit them as a means for rehabilitation. Once a juvenile is tried and sentenced as an adult, they must be put in an adult prison. The justice system is in place to rehabilitate juveniles instead of only focusing on punishment, but over the years there has been a transition of the system. Punishment over rehabilitation has become the primary focus. Phillip Holloway, a former prosecutor, police officer, and founder of the Holloway Legal Group, states, “There is little if any evidence to suggest that treating juveniles as adults in the criminal justice system decreases crime or has any deterrent effect. In fact, what evidence does exist suggests the opposite”(Holloway 3). Holloway continues to mention how “studies show that incarcerating children more often than not result in higher rates of recidivism; essentially, it turns children into hardened criminals.” This is due to “a drastic shift from notions of rehabilitation to quests for revenge and vengeance regardless of the age of the accused”(Holloway 3). Treating kids as adults only makes their situation worse, and their potential for rehabilitation decreases because of it. As a society, we should want our youth to reach their full potential as people, and if they make a mistake, we should punish within reason with the goal of rehabilitation. As Holloway implies throughout his statement, there has been a negative shift of goals within the justice system. The justice system is focusing on “revenge and vengeance” as Holloway says; however, the “want” for revenge should never be a goal- especially not in a system put in place to determine right from wrong. 

When a juvenile is being tried as an adult, oftentimes their background and environment are overlooked and not taken into consideration. It is very important to keep in mind what the child has to go through every day and what his or her life is like. It could be possible the juvenile who had committed a crime does not have one or both of his parents, the family is involved with gangs/drugs, or they are living in poverty. Although nothing excuses the act of murder, these factors are very important to keep in mind when wanting to try juveniles as adults. According to the Human Impact Partners, “Poverty prevents families from providing material needs and often reduces parents’ presence in their children’s lives. This can lead youth to take on a parental role in the family. This role switching, known as parentification, can impact a young person’s life outlook and sense of self.”  Because of these extreme and devastating circumstances, “it can force them to make hard choices and even engage in compromising behaviors” (Juvenile InJustice: Charging Youth as Adults is Ineffective, Biased, and Harmful 1). Unlike those in more affluent areas with proper guidance, these youth are not protected from themselves, their potential negative decisions, and being criminalized for their behaviors. There is so much pressure on kids that are in these kinds of situations. These children go into survival mode for themselves and possibly their siblings causing major mental health issues for them. This in turn could cause them to make more rash decisions out of pure emotion. As stated earlier, the teen brain is not fully developed in the decision-making region, so adding stress and anxiety from these situations can cause many problems. The background of a juvenile should always be taken into consideration before the court decides to try them as an adult. 

Juveniles should only be tried as adults for serious crimes after their background and mental state are carefully evaluated taken into consideration. The fact that youths' brains are not as developed proves why they should not be judged as adults. A second reason is the juvenile justice system mainly focuses on punishment and not rehabilitation for juveniles. A third and final reason is that oftentimes a juvenile’s background and living situation are why they commit crimes and should be looked at carefully when being judged. This matters because the juveniles of today are society's future, so we should help them rehabilitate rather than punish them for life.