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Equal justice for all
Juveniles are under 18 years but below the age of 10 years, and the juvenile justice system handles their cases. The policy which governs the people who are caught in crime is different compared to those of adults. An adult person refers to a person who is above the age of 18 years. The adults are treated differently than the juveniles due to the differences in their ages, and there are separate judicial systems for juveniles and adults (Ozer and Emily 375). Both can commit the same crime but do not face the same judicial judgments, which are the main issue in this argument. Whether there should be differences in the judgment of the youths under the age of 18 years and the adults is debatable, and the policy needs to change to ensure fairness in all individuals caught in a crime. From my perspective, justice should apply equally to all the people regardless of age and gender.
Most juveniles commit more serious crimes, and there is a need to ensure they face the same consequences just as adults. Juveniles are not too young to face trials and be charged with the crime offended in any law court. A person over the age of 10 years can make decisions on their own. Thus, they should face the law just like any other person (Redlich, Allison and Reveka 611). They can decide to commit any form of crime just like any adult; thus, they should meet the law without favour. If the justice system can be the same for all, it would be better as everybody will respect the law. Considering some crimes such as murder, which lead to loss of life for another person; the law should apply equally, and the offender sentenced according to the crime’s size.
The factors that can lead an adult to crime are almost the same as those triggering juveniles to crime, including revenge, substance abuse and a negative environment. All people can commit a crime under such circumstances; thus, they should meet the law in the same way (Ozer and Emily 375). The youths who commit crimes under and go through the juvenile justice system do not get the right punishments for their crimes; thus, it is easier for them to commit it repeatedly. Due to such an effect of unfair treatment for all criminals, the tendency to repeat a crime increases among the youths compared to the adults. The lack of enough punishments for juvenile justice system crimes is the main contributor to such behaviour in juveniles. The law should be tight to every person and treat every crime with its respective punishment irrespective of the age.
An increase in criminal activities in the society committed by the adults in most cases retraces from the juvenile courts’ actions. The young people who commit crimes and go without tough punishments end up being a criminal in future. To end the criminals in society, the juveniles caught with offences should be dealt with seriously by the law just as the adults (Murphy, and Kristina 55). The harsh treatments will correct the behaviour of such a juvenile to become a responsible citizen who obeys the country’s laws. It will be hard for a person under eighteen to repeat a crime due to the fear of consequences. Insisting the fair judgment for every individual will lead to a culture whereby the juveniles will completely not engage in crimes due to the fear of the consequences.
The role of imprisonment is to rehabilitate the person caught under crime to change his behaviours and become responsible citizens. There is no need to treat juveniles differently, which is less punitive than that for adults. The positive change is required for all of them, and not only for the adults; thus, should they both face the same punishments (Redlich, Allison and Reveka 611). According to the research, it is very difficult to track changes in the individual; thus, it is important to stick to the tough measures set for every particular crime for every individual irrespective of age. In the traditional juvenile system, many youths get out without achieving the right disciplinary measures, which makes them repeat the crime. Setting tough punishments for the juveniles will lead to a very fast change. The behaviour will be corrected permanently from the individual due to fear of facing the same consequences experienced earlier by the person.
It is important to ensure the country’s laws are followed by all the individuals who know them and all individuals who can differentiate what is right from what is wrong. Any person who breaks the law should face the consequences of his or her actions without considering the age. Due to the less punitive actions by the laws regarding the correctional measures which should be taken to juveniles, it has been recognized that the careless on what may occur to them after doing offences than adults (Murphy, and Kristina 55). If the punishment for both adults and juveniles can be equalized, the experience to the juveniles who commit crimes may be the best lesson to guide them not to commit crimes and live good lives. Guardians can play a critical role in ensuring their young ones don’t engage in crime and lead them with advice never to try criminal acts.
Considering the courts’ age should only apply to the detention in prisons where it can be better to have juveniles in separate prisons with adult prisons. However, the purpose of this should be to ensure the youths are not discriminated against by adult criminals if kept in the same prisons. When the youths are detained together with their peers, it will be easier for them to survive as they will not lack essentials, and it will be easier to correct them according to their crimes (Corrado et al. 359). The cases of juvenile offenders need to be heard in courts just like those of adults. When an adult reaches before finishing the sentence, it can be better to transfer such an offender to an adult correctional centre. The policies on the judicial system of different countries should ensure equity and fairness by ensuring all the offenders face the same consequences for the offences they commit, whether a juvenile or an adult. This will make it easier when the judicial system is the same, and it will avoid complexity and ensure equity for all the juveniles and adults. It should be the responsibility of every individual to abide by a certain country’s rules and regulations irrespective of the age.
References
Murphy, Kristina. “Does procedural justice matter to youth? Comparing adults’ and youths’ willingness to collaborate with police.” Policing and Society 25.1 (2015): 53-76.
Corrado, Raymond R., et al. “The role of psychopathic traits and developmental risk factors on offending trajectories from early adolescence to adulthood: A prospective study of incarcerated youth.” Journal of Criminal Justice 43.4 (2015): 357-368.
Redlich, Allison D., and Reveka V. Shteynberg. “To plead or not to plead: A comparison of juvenile and adult true and false plea decisions.” Law and Human Behavior 40.6 (2016): 611.
Ozer, Emily J. “Youth‐led participatory action research: Overview and potential for enhancing adolescent development.” Child Development Perspectives 11.3 (2017): 173-177.