Alicia Matute

Mr. Cook
ELA
14 October 2014
Juvenile offenders should not be punished as adults because at times it is not
their fault they commit these crimes and they can also correct these mistakes.
Many people wonder why juvenile offenders act in such a rebellious way. These
people do not know the story they have behind their criminal faces. There are some
cases like El Ponchis, a teenaager who cut the heads off of people and pushed their
bodies off a bridge. As the article mentions, His father says the boy was forced into the
service by other gang members as a pawn in the drug wars. El Ponchis was forced to
this horrible act. He should not be punished for something was forced to do. Then there
are some cases where these teenagers have been thrown to the side. Like the case of
the 17-year-old boy, He had been abandoned by his father as a baby, neglected by his
mother, and spent time in homeless shelters. This poor boy had no one to look up to as
he was growing up. His adoptive father brainwashed him into doing horrible things. He
was never told to not do those things. He felt the love he needed and thought it was the
right path to take.
Juvenile offenders should have the opportunity to correct the mistake they have
made by committing a crime. The article says, The system also worked to rehabilitate
delinquents. Juvenile correctional facilities (not called prisons) would help young
offenders to correct their behaviors so they could lead productive lives. The
government is taking a chance in helping these teenagers to fix their lives. My dad was
Juvenile offender when he came to The United States. He was accused of many
different charge, some charges were robbery, witnessing a murder, false identification.
He had to go to a correctional facility in California when he was around 17 years old. He
was in there for a year. He was let out and he right away knew it was time to get his life
together. He had no mother or father figure, they both stayed in El Salvador. He decided
to move to Colorado and start a new fresh life. Now, 20 years later, he has his
residency and his own work company. My dad has proven everyone wrong and made
his family very happy. Many young offenders deserve the second chance like my dad.
They have to go through a rehabilitation system, so they can change their lives for their
own sake. The best things you learn in life are from mistakes.
These juvenile offenders are old enough to know what actions they are making.
The minnesota legislature made a law called the Emilys Law. This law was enforced
after a 13-year-old boy sexually assaulted and throw a girl against the wall, that later
died. That was really cruel for a thirteen year old boy to do. A young, innocent girl died
for something so horrible. This boy should be treated as an adult for taking the life away
from a young girl. I disagree with these people because we never know if the girl was
looking for it. You must take every little aspect in consideration. At the age of 13 is when
their hormones begin to have a change. They both were probably planning to do this
and the young lady was not her to give her side. The mother might have said some
things, but no parent knows their child that deeply. The 13-year-old boy should not be
treated as an adult because you do not have the girls side of the story.
Source:
Juvenile Justice. Deliberating in a Democracy in the Americas. 2011. Web. 9
September 2014.