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JacobBrint
Mr.Conrad
ERWC
6May2016
JuvenileJustice

InAmericayoutharerestrictedfromthemomenttheyareborntotheypointtheyturn21
thisisasimplefactofthenation.Theseyouthhavenotbeenintheadultworldyetanddonot
knowtheweightseriousdecisionscarry.Inthemostadvancedandfinanciallysoundcountryin
theworlditiscrazytothinkthatwedonoteducateourkidsontheconsequencesoftheir
actionsandinturndirectthemonthepathofdeviance.Totreattheyouthasjuvenilesinevery
aspectoftheirlifeonlytohavethischangewhentheycommitacrimeisincrediblyunjustand
leadstokidsfeelingasiftheiractionsdonothaveconsequences.

Howcantheprideofacountrybemaintainedwhenitistheonlyoneintheworld
performingsuchacruelpunishmentasalifesentenceonitsyouth.AsstatedinJuvenilesDon't
DeserveLifeSentencesanarticlewrittenfortheNewYorkTimesbyGailGardneritstates
Nationwide,79youngadolescentshavebeensentencedtodieinprisonasentencenot
imposedonchildrenanywhereelseintheworld.BydoingthistheUnitedStatesiseffectively
degradingitsinternationalstandinghurtingtieswithmoreprogressivealliesthatviewthe
countryasbarbaric.Asaformerjuvenilecourtjudge,Ihaveseenfirsthandtheenormous
capacityofchildrentochangeandturnthemselvesaround(Garinger).Everyothernationonthe
globecanseethismassivepotentialforrehabilitationinyoungcriminalsexceptforittheUnited
Stateswhichchoosestohandoutlifesentencestojuvenileswithoutdelay.Thesechildrenare

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stillgrowingBrainimagingstudiesrevealthattheregionsoftheadolescentbrainresponsible
forcontrollingthoughts,actions,andemotionsarenotfullydeveloped(Garinger).This
continuingdevelopmentpresentstheperfectopportunityforrehabilitationonyoungcriminals
butthenationmostlyignoresthispotential.Itisnolongerthe10thcenturythemiddleagesare
wellbehindthismoderntimebuttheUnitedstateschoosestokeepitspoliciesonlyonestep
awayfrommedievalpracticeswhiletherestoftheworldblastforwardleavingAmericainthe
dust.

Teenagersdonotdeservelifesentencestheiractionsshouldhaveconsequencesbut
whenyoulookatthefactsthebrainsofteenagersarenotfullydeveloped.Thisfactthat
teenagersbrainshavenotfinishedgrowingisalmostentirelyignoredbytheU.S.government
eventhoughGraymatter,whichbrainresearchersbelievesupportsallourthinkingand
emotions,ispurgedatarateof1percentto2percentayearduringthisperiod[teen
years](Thompson).Canjuvenilesbesentencedingoodconsciousasadultsknowingthatthey
arenotfullydevelopedmentallyliketheadultswhotheyarebeingsyncedwith.Braincellsand
connectionsareonlybeinglostintheareascontrollingimpulses,risktaking,andself
control(Thompson).Thesekidsareateverydisadvantageandshouldnotbetreatedlikeafully
developedperson,italmostseemsasifteenagershavebeendesignedtomessupsowhy
shouldwenottreatthemdifferentlythanthosewhoarepastthatstage.Drawingcomparisons
betweenyoungkidsandadultsiscrazyDoesplanningmeanthesamethingforathirteenyear
old,withhisdiminishedcapacityforcontrollingerraticbehavior,asitmeansforan
adult?(Thompson)theobviousanswerisno.Punishmentshouldstillbeenactedonthesekids
howevertheemphasisduringtheirstayinadetentioncentershouldbeforcedonrehabilitation
tomakethemfuturemembersofsociety.Teensbrainsarenotfullydevelopedithasbeen

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shownthattheypartsoftheirbrainsusedforcriticalthinkingarenotfullydevelopedsohowcan
thegovernmentgivethemthepunishmentofafullydevelopedadult,thesimpleansweristhat
theyshouldnotandachangemustbeenenacted.

Childrenareprotectedtheymakemistakesbutlearnfromthemthisispartofthe
growingprocess,everyoneagrees.Whyisitthatchildrenareshownnosidesofrealityandthe
adultworlduntiltheythemselvescommitacrime?Americanchildrenareraisedinignoranceof
trueconsequencesHey,theyreonlykids.Thatisuntiltheyfoulup.Untiltheycommitcrimes.
Andthebiggerthecrime,themoreeagerwearetocallthemadults(Lundstrom).Whenthey
commitacrimehowevertheymustacceptthefullburdenofadulthood,childrenarebeing
raisedtobeconvicted.Whentheadultsinthiscountryhavefailedtoraisethechildrencorrectly
theyhavenorighttoplacetheminprisonforlife,thesekidshavebeenprotectedforsolong
theycannotbetreatedasanadultwithfullresponsibilities.Thesesyoungchildrenarebeing
convictedatageswhereitcanobviouslybepinnedonthebadparentingchildrenasyoungas
twelveandthirteenarebeingchargedasadultsinAmericanCourts(Lundstrom).Kidswillbe
kidshascreatedastigmainthemindsofyoungpeoplethattheyareinvincibleandcando
whatevertheywantwithoutanyseriousconsequences.

Treatingyouthaschildrenineveryaspectoflifeuntiltheycommitaseriouscrimeis
completelyridiculousthesekidsarenotadults.Whentherestoftheworldhasallstoppeda
practiceandthesocallednumberonenationcontinuesthesebarbaricpracticesitisobvious
somethingiswrong.Thesechildrenarenotasdevelopedasadultsbutaretreatedassuchin
theviewofthecourtwhichisentirelycounterintuitivetotheidealsofthenation.Thesechildren
havebeendeniedanyformofrehabilitationandhavelostallhopebutapositivechangecanbe

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enactedifeveryonewhowantstobeheardstandsuptotheissuesathandpeoplemustspeak
forthosewithoutavoice.