Juvenile offenders in adult prisons are more likely to be sexually abused and commit suicide. The present system is not working.
1980s and 1990s
As crime by youth was on the upswing in the 80s and 90s, the courts began trying juveniles as adults and giving them longer sentences than juveniles would receive. It seemed to make sense. After all, if a 15-year-old committed armed robbery, he should serve time as an adult. The courts gave little consideration to the maturity level of a 15-year-old or the fact that the teenage brain is not well developed. After twenty years, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has issued a report.
Result Is Failure
Robert L. Johnson, dean of the New Jersey Medical School, states the court actions of the past twenty years have accomplished the following:
Laws have not deterred other youth from committing crimes
They have not rehabilitated the youth sentenced under them
Johnson is a member of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services assembled by the CDC. The panel reviewed not two or three studies but six. The studies analyzed the effects of sentencing juveniles into adult prisons. Johnson says, "Not only does it not deter youth crime, it actually makes them more violent." A Florida study shows that youth sent into the adult system had 34% more felony arrests after being released than those held in juvenile facilities.
Shay Bilchik, a former prosecutor in Florida, says, "You couldn’t ask for any worse results." Bilchik is now the director of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute. He was once a supporter of the "try them as adults" trend but has changed his mind. "We’re getting faster recidivism for more serious crimes."
Senate Judiciary Committee
In December two reports were prepared to submit to the Senate as the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act is being considered for reauthorization. The reports call for the youths in adult jails to be housed separately. One would think this would automatically happen, but it does not.
Results
After youth are housed in adult prisons they
Commit more crimes
Often commit more violent crimes
Are more likely to be sexually abused while incarcerated
Advocates for juveniles state that our juvenile system is not prepared to help youth at a young age. Not only is the system not helping violent offenders; it is not helping nonviolent offenders. Perhaps the juvenile system needs to become more effective so fewer youth become candidates for the adult system. Something is not working. Hopefully, the Senate will demand change in both how juveniles are rehabilitated and how they are treated if sent to adult prisons.
Dropout Factor
The question needs to be asked how many of these adolescents in the prison system are dropouts? Is this issue partially a school issue and not completely a justice system issue?
Source: Robert E. Pierre, washingtonpost.com, November 30, 2007
Copyright article 2008 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
The copyright of the article Teens Tried as Adults A Failure in Educational Issues is owned by Barbara Pytel. Permission to republish Teens Tried as Adults A Failure in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
I am a mother of a 16yr. old boy who has committed a felony.he faces being
charged as an adult. i agree that other things should be considered besides
adult prison. what coiuld my son possibly learn from other hardened
criminals?
Nov 13, 2008 12:00 PM
Guest :
The lady spelled "could" wrong
Dec 5, 2008 2:30 PM
Guest :
I think this law would actually prevent teenagers from committing a crime,
although it doesn't necessarily help the one incarcerated, but it would
make teenagers think twice before committing a crime. I wouldn't like to
risk being raped in jail by some old dude.
Dec 8, 2008 5:18 AM
Guest :
i think teens being tried as adults is compleatly a waste of time .If a
teen commites a crime they could be brought to a rehad and at least learn
and be helped .
Dec 12, 2008 7:10 AM
Guest :
Ok if a teenager commits a adult crime he/she should be tried as an adult
no matter how minor the crime is. There are grown men locked up for
petty theft what makes a teenager any different.
Jan 7, 2009 10:34 PM
Guest :
I am a sister of a 17yr old brother who didnt commit a violent crime but is
doing time for it and i think giving juveniles adult times isnt for them.
How would they learn what's right and what's wrong when the got to defend
theyself EVERYDAY AND NIGHT in an adult PRISON they don't how. And adult
prison is ran different and you got the older ppl wanna pick on the
juveniles that isn't right. Juveniles should have they own facilities the
younger youth should be release when the learned their lesson and DONE they
time but beeing place in a adult prison isn't for juveniles causE it isnt a
fair place or a good teaching or learning enviorment. THEY WILL NEVER HAVE
A CHANCE A FREEDOM OR LIFE PS TEQUILLIA L.
Feb 16, 2009 10:59 AM
Guest :
at what age is a child really considered an adult?? by 13 or 14 years old a
person is able to choose between right and wrong...i mean come on if a 14
year old commits a murder he is old enough to know that the consequences
far outweigh the benefits..
Mar 9, 2009 7:31 PM
Guest :
I think that they should be sentenced as adults, just not put them in an
adult faciliated prison. Even though the teens are the easiest to tempt,
they should realize something is wrong if you kill someone or rape
someonce. If they don't, then they must learn. There are some who learn
from their mistake. Even though we must consider their state of maturity,
we cannot be lenient on the crimes.
Apr 30, 2009 4:51 PM
Guest :
i think teens should be tried as adults because thyre already old enough to
know the consequences and know right from wrong.also, if they are able to
commit such serious crimes then they should be able to handle the right
punishment for their actions.
May 4, 2009 11:09 AM
Guest :
i think its all wrong
Jun 18, 2009 10:03 AM
Guest :
Yes, children can differentiate between right and wrong - but often still
choose wrong because they don't consider the consequences. Children lack
the ability to fully appreciate the long term consequences of an action,
which is why so many teens engage in risky behaviors, especially in
groups.
There is a reason we don't allow 14 and 15 year olds to
drink, drive, smoke, look at pornography, vote, enter into a sexual
relationship, enter into legally binding contracts, live on their own, or
any of a myriad of other things. They simply do not understand the
consequences and cannot handle the decisions as well as an adult. If you
want to try them as adults, you had better consider removing these
restrictions, because that is the next logical step.
Children
simply are not adults. Ever.
Oct 13, 2009 7:43 PM
Guest :
I strongly belive that Teens Should be tryed as adult. One of my
reason, is that if us teens wouldent get punished for our crimes then
we would do them for every reason.. imagine all the especial kids with
bypolar problms like they cant controll themself they will be killing
everytime they get angry or upset! Me as a 14 i can see & take
responsabilitys for my acctios. But i a case were a kid has been
physicaly, mentaly and emocionally abused they might have more reasons to
kill or comit ceveral crimes. think about it would you like someone
raped YOU or your Kids And dont get punished for the crime ???
Oct 15, 2009 7:25 AM
Guest :
I am a Sister of a 14yr. old brother.. who has an learning disability..
this is the first time he'll ever be in court.. he has court soon.. and has
to see his probation officer.. all i know is that him and a group of boys
broke into a house.. cameras were there.. but the thing is he didn't touch
anything.. just stood there watching and told one of the boys he knew to
stop.. doing what he was doing... anyways what do you think he should be
tried as?!?? if ur going to answer my Q.. just put ->L0caz<- so
i know...
Nov 5, 2009 6:08 PM
Guest :
oh my god. You seriously said that she spelled could wrong. This is a
serious subject and you have the nerve to say that?
Nov 30, 2009 1:45 PM
Guest :
L0caz----- I think he should be tried as a juvenile and not as an adult
because really and truly he didn't do anything but I think that trying
children as adults is wrong all together. No one takes the time to listen
to a child/teenager to see how they feel or why the do the things that they
do so when they let their emotions out it often comes out wrong and giving
them life in prison or putting them in an adult prison would just make the
stress a whole lot worse.
Jan 21, 2008
