JUVENILES SHOULD BE TRIED & TREATED AS ADULTS: Dr Pratik Mungekar
- Team Stay Featured
- Jul 20, 2022
- 7 min read
Juveniles should be treated:
A juvenile is a person below the age of 17 years who is, unfortunately, involved in activities that are criminal and anti-social Juveniles should be treated differently because children cannot intentionally commit a crime because psychologically they aren’t developed enough to distinguish between right and wrong. Trying juveniles as criminals affects their psyche.
Instead, they should be rehabilitated and counselled. Juveniles have a right to a future, and therefore, they should be given a chance to learn from their mistakes. Responsible people should help them realise their faults and encourage them to overcome their flaws.
Juveniles should be tried as adults:
A juvenile delinquent should be tried as an adult as punishment acts as a deterrent to crime.
Juveniles are sane enough to differentiate between good and bad. Therefore, children can commit crimes as they have decided to choose the wrong path. Instead of rehabilitation, they should be tried as adults and given punishment so that other children don’t commit such shameful acts. Juveniles are a threat to society as they can easily corrupt other children in their group. The physical and mental maturity of a child should be tested and he or she should be punished accordingly.
Well, no, at least for most crimes.
There is scientific proof that people below the age of 18(or sometimes more) use the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for emotions, impulses, aggression and instinctive behaviour, rather than their prefrontal cortex, the part responsible for logic and reasoning, most of the time:
While the amygdala is fully developed at birth, the prefrontal cortex does not mature until early adulthood. Because of this, children and adolescents do not always make rational decisions and cannot always control their emotions.
The very reason that juvenile courts were created in the nineteenth century was that society recognized that juveniles did not have the cognitive development that adults had, would benefit more from rehabilitative services to prevent recidivism, and needed more protections.
Even if you think a sixteen-year-old should be smart enough to know full well what the consequences of their actions would be, that isn’t all there is to be considered. Science disagrees, for one.
Moreover, most juveniles aren’t arrested for violent first-degree murder. The majority of convicted juveniles are arrested for arson, burglary, robbery, motor vehicle theft, liquor law violations, drug abuse, vandalism, disorderly conduct and assaults(research shows that juveniles are more likely to get into fights).[1]
You also have to ask the question, “Are juveniles who go through the adult court system “deterred” from future crime.”? After all, punishments are given to prevent the crime from being committed again, not to hurt someone because he deserves it.
Well, a comprehensive review was completed by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law’s Juvenile Justice Project in July that reviewed the impact of juvenile cases prosecuted in adult court. The report, (The Impact of Prosecuting Youth in the Criminal Justice System: A Review of the Literature), ultimately found that there has been little to no deterrent effect on juveniles prosecuted in adult court, and in many states, recidivism rates have increased.
Statistics compiled from 15 states revealed that juveniles prosecuted in adult court and released from state prisons were rearrested 82 per cent of the time, while their adult counterparts were rearrested 16 per cent less. Meanwhile, studies have shown that juveniles prosecuted in juvenile court benefit from the services made available to them through that process, as juvenile institutions provide programs and resources specifically designed for juvenile development. Juveniles in adult court often do not have the opportunity to acquire critical skills, competencies, and experiences that are crucial to their success as adults; rather, they are subject to an environment in which adult criminals become their teachers.
Studies also say that juveniles are most at risk of fragile mental health and depression.
A large percentage of the factors accounting for juvenile crime are fractured families, peer pressure, physical and sexual abuse, teenage parents, poverty, lack of community involvement and activities, substance abuse, and failure in school, according to research.[3]
So, in conclusion, I say juveniles need resources to equip them to succeed when they are released from juvenile facilities, rather than face the devastating effects of being housed in adult prison systems. They should be treated as juveniles in the court justice system, with a focus on rehabilitating rather than simply punishing.
The reason a justice system was created is to stop criminals and keep them from committing any more crimes or at least show them there is a consequence for their actions. So, when juveniles are let off easy for a crime they learn that they can commit more crimes or the same crime and they won't get in trouble for it. They end up being repeat offenders and could eventually move on to more violent crimes. "The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a period of increasing severity of offences and an increase in lethal violence. Most of the violence is directed at victims of the same age, and the age period of 16-24 is a high-risk time for violent victimization."
In a juvenile correction facility, there is only one person that determines the punishment of the minor. If the minor is tried in an adult court, they will have to go in front of a jury so there is more than one person that makes the decision. When going in front of a jury, there is more than one point of view. With a jury majority rules, so if multiple people agree that the minor should be punished then the minor will be punished.
There are pros to trying juveniles as adults but just like everything else it also has cons. One problem with trying juveniles as adults is that the minors will be put at risk. A juvenile's competency is not as developed as an adult's. Since they are not as competent as an adult, they might not understand the court process and they might not have the competence to stand trial. Another problem with the ment of a minor is that they are emotionally e and they might not understand the consequences of the crime they committed.
One of the bigger issues with trying juveniles as an adult is the possibility of them being placed in a dangerous situation. After the minor is charged, they will be stuck in a jail cell with adults and in the cell, they are exposed to many possible life-threatening situations. "Juveniles confined in adult facilities face grave dangers to their safety and well-being, including significantly higher rates of physical assault, sexual abuse, and suicide than their counterparts in juvenile facilities" (Wood, ebscohost.com). The possibility of something like this happening is very concerning to the public and is the main reason so many people are against trying juveniles as adults.
Putting minors in jail instead of rehabilitating them like usual could cause them to lose hope. If they lose hope this could make them become an even worse criminal and instead of doing small crimes they could become more violent. They could eventually have the mindset that there is no way to rehabilitate them and that there is no way the change. Even though the whole point of putting them in jail is to teach them a lesson it could always have a negative effect and do the exact opposite of what it was meant to do.
Everyone makes mistakes, especially at a young age and sometimes they are pressured into it by someone else. They might have gotten caught up in it with a group of people or pressured into it by "friends" or they might have just gotten mad and decided to do it so they could take their anger out. There are many factors to why they committed a crime but jail could be a little too harsh of a punishment for something so small. They deserve a second chance, they should get a punishment for committing a crime but jail is not always the answer. Even adults make mistakes and do stuff they should not do, but minors are still learning what is right and wrong.
Juveniles should be tried as adults because it helps to show them that there are consequences for their actions. Today's court systems are outdated and minors commit crimes because they know they will get off easy. If they start being punished for the crimes they commit, future crimes could be prevented and the crime rates will lower. This action could prevent future violent crimes like Columbine, Sandy Hook, and other extremely violent crimes. "Adult time for adult crime"-the mantra of the get-tough-on-juvenile-crime lobby-says nothing about the age of the offender, except for the fact that it ought to be considered irrelevant
About Dr Pratik Mungekar
1) He is the first Indian to be appointed as the planetary Minister of Sustainable Development of Newly emerging The Kingdom of Atlantis (a Decentralized Sovereign kingdom)
2) He is the first youngest Indian whose book Introduction to sustainable Development Goals (Non-Academic) is now part of the Atlantean Education program.
3) He is the first youngest Indian to receive 250+ Honorary Doctorates from all over the world.
4)He is the first youngest Indian professor who taught more than 8000+ Students & Career guided 4000+ Students to date & the count is still on.
5) He is the first Indian who has 700+ International, National & State Awards at the age of 28 for his contribution to the field of Teaching & Research.
6) He is the youngest Indian to receive 125+ Honorary High Degrees across the Globe.
7) He is the first Indian to be appointed by 35+ International organisations in various High-positions at the same time.
8) He is the first youngest Indian to be appointed as an Ambassador by 36 organizations of many countries in almost all disciplines.
9) He is the first Indian youngest professor to start teaching at the age of sixteen, the age of twenty Seven He has completed twelve years of Teaching.
10) He is the first Youngest Indian to receive Royal &Prestigious Titles such as 1)Lecturus Magnificus (L.M.), 2) H.R.H. 5* Duke.
11) First Youngest Indian to receive Mendeleev’s Fellowship ( United Kingdom’s Highest Academic Honour).
12)First Indian to receive the distinguished title “Professor Wisdom” from Institución Cultural Colombiana Casa Poética Magia y Plumas ,Colombia South America.
Today, the name of Prof. Dr Pratik Rajan Mungekar is no longer common but is emerging as a distinguished Scientist, Professor, World Educationist, Published Writer, Counsellor, Social Worker and an International Speaker
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