Argumentative Essay

RUNNING HEAD: Proposal

Proposal

Kathryn Berdine

English 102: Composition II

Professor Dan Burrello

Abstract

Children even at the age of 10 are involved or committing viscous crimes such as murder, rape, and armed robbery, adult incarceration may not be the answer in all cases. Adolescent offenders of heinous crimes are progressively being tried as adults in criminal courts. These juveniles are being incarcerated in adult correctional facilities all across the nation and this encounters complicated issues. The research shows incarcerating juveniles in our adult prison system has negative effects although this practice should be reserved for only the most serious and chronic offenders. Roughly, 4% of juvenile offenders are this violent and commit heinous crimes. (Snyder, Sickmund, Poe-Yamagata 2000) Once these adolescents are incarcerated in the adult prison system, they receive fewer age appropriate rehabilitative and educational services than they would in a juvenile facility. It is recognized, that not all juveniles can be rehabilitated, not all of these adult committed juveniles should be transferred to adult prisons. (Baruwa, B. 2013) Juveniles have the physical size brain as an adult but do not possess the developmental cogitative connections an adult does. (Giedd, 2012) Case-by-case convictions and juvenile rehabilitation are some of the concerns in this report.

Proposal

HYPOTHESIS: Adolescents who commit heinous adult crimes need to be put in adult prisons on a case-by-case basis.

EXPLANATION: If a juvenile commits the more heinous crimes such as rape, armed robbery or murder, they need to be responsible for their actions and tried as an adult on a case-by-case basis. A small number of adolescents are, committing crimes that are inherently adult in nature, without the regard of any consequences and rehabilitation may not be useful for them but for the larger number of offenders therapy and rehabilitation need to be utilized. While our nation, schools and society needs to be protected from these young criminals, we have a juvenile court system that is dedicated to rehabilitation. Stricter laws for these juveniles should act as a deterrent but they do not.

SUBPOINTS:

1. Teens are intellectually incapable of thinking like an adult. (Giedd, 2012)

2. Young violent offenders need to be given a second chance to better themselves. (NO.CV-13-942 Hobbs-V-Gordon 2014)

3. Even the young offenders need to be nurtured and need more protection than can be given in adult prisons. (Baruwa, 2013)

4. They need rehabilitation rather than a harsh sentence. (Scott, Steinberg ,2008)

5. Judgments' need to be on a case by case basis. (Snyder, Sickmund,Poe-Yamagata 2000)

POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS:

1. Adolescents need to be aware that if you can do the crime you can do the time. (NO.CV-13-942 Hobbs-V-Gordon 2014)

2. They are old enough at 14 to 15 and know the difference between right and wrong. (Malaceva, 2012)

3. If young adults are in control of these adult heinous acts, they are doing they need to be held responsible for them. (Skeem, Cruise, Cauffman, 2001)

4. Increases in technology are making adolescences more knowledgeable and they are growing up faster. Young adults have more control over impulse. (Malaceva, 2012)

5. Our nation needs to be safe from these criminals and need harsher sentences. (NO.CV-13-942 Hobbs-V-Gordon 2014)

REPLY TO OBJECTIONS:

1. Adolescents have the brain size of an adult but developmentally the gray matter, thinking part of the brain, thickens at around 12 and the extra cogitative connections are still developing until early adulthood. (Giedd, 2012)

2. Teen's brains are in the middle of an organization and strategizing period. They have the capabilities of knowing right from wrong but it is unfair to expect them to have the adult levels of decision-making skills. (Giedd, 2012)

3. Young adults are not always in control of these heinous actions. They do not always think about future or long-term consequences. (Baruwa, 2013)

4. They lack ability to control all impulses and take more risks than adults. (Baruwa, 2013)

5. Stricter or harsher sentences do not detour teens from crimes. (Scott, Steinberg ,2008)

References

Baruwa, B. (2013) Should Juveniles be transferred to Adult Criminal Courts Retrieved from http://trace.tennessee.edu

Edens, J., Skeem, J. Cruise, K. Cauffman, E. (2001) Assessment of Juvenile Psychopathy

And Its Association with Violence: A Critical Review. Behave. Sci. Law 19: 53-80

Retrieved from

http://riskreduction.soceco.uci.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Assessment-of-juvenile-

psychopathy-and-its-association-with-violence.pdf

Giedd MD (2012) Inside the Teenage Brain WGBH educational foundation Retrieved

from http://www.pbs.org

NO. CV-13-942 Brief of Juvenile Law Center, ET AL. As Amici Curiae In Support of

Respondent, Ulonzo Gordon. http://www.jlic.org/legal-docket/hobbs-v-gordon1.Arkansas 14 Mar. 2014 Pages 1-29. Retreaved from http://www.jlc.org/legal-docket/hobbs-v-gordon

Malaceva, O (2012). Should Adolescents Be Tried As Adults. A European Association of Psychology and Law - Student Society Publication Retrieve from http://itssimple.ca/forensicgroup/wp-content/uploads/Adolescents.pdf

Redding , R (2003) Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, The Effects Of Adjudicating And Sentencing Juveniles As Adults: Research and Policy Implications, Retrieved from http://www.willamette.edu http://yvj.sagepub.com

Scott, E. Steinberg, L (2008) Adolescent Development and the Regulation of Youth Crime, The Future of Children Volume 18, Number 2 Retrieved from http://futureofchildren.org/futureofchildren/publications/highlights/18_02_Highlights_01. pdf

Snyder, H., Sickmund, M., and Poe-Yamagata,E. Juvenile Transfers to Criminal

Court in the 1990's: Lessons Learned from Four States. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention. (2000) Retrieved from

https://www.ncjrs.gov