Keeping Faith In Our Future
It remains an unclear argument between people in our society, is it appropriate to try juvenile offenders of serious and violent crimes as adults? Over the course of many studies, researchers have found that juveniles are different from adults because they are not fully mentally developed, and this impairs their judgment call. As noted by research from Dr.Brendtro and Martin Mitchell, CEO of Starr Commonwealth, “The adolescent brain has not reached full capacity to manage emotions and impulses and think logically in stressful situations. But the brain’s capacity for self control continues to develop into the mid twenties, so young offenders are uniquely able to benefit from restorative programs” (Brendtro and Mitchell24). Juveniles are not mature adults, as a society it is our responsibility to provide juvenile offenders with rehabilitation programs that will provide them a second chance and the opportunity to change their lives.
Since 2005, all American states no longer sentence any one under the age of 18 to the death penalty as precedence set by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Roper v Simmons. In the case of Chistopher Simmons, he was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to lethal injection until over turned by the U.S. Supreme Court imposing that it was “cruel and unusual” punishment with emphasis focused on the 8th Amendment. In which case, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole (Kaplan1). Simmons and his friend broke into Shirley Crook’s home and after she awoke, they then proceeded to physically assault her. They bound her by her hands and feet with electrical wire, placed duct tape over her eyes and mouth, and threw her over the bridge into the Missouri River (Kaplan1). At seventeen years of age, Simmons apparently had the ability to knowingly provoke harm on this woman against her will. He broke into her house, violated her property, assaulted and drowned her. All of these...