Juveniles Should be Tried as Adults

In the early summer of 1993 Christopher Simmons convinced a group of friends to break into a house and stage a robbery. While there, they tied up anyone in the house and later threw them off a bridge. Chris got his friends to join, by convincing them they wouldn’t be tried as adults being juveniles themselves. The court waited until after his 18th birthday so he could be tried as an adult. Juveniles are fully aware of what they are doing, they commit the same crimes as adults and get easier punishments, and they are bound to be back in court if they go through a juvenile court. Therefore they should be tried as adults.

Studies show that by age seven juveniles are fully aware of their actions (Lange). They know what they are doing and if it’s right or wrong. Determining if an action is right or wrong is something people bring up in a hearing to decide if a juvenile should be tried as an adult. People argue they are too young and juveniles don’t fully understand what they are doing and the consequences. This has been proven wrong as parents teach their kids what is right or wrong and juveniles know what’s up by the age of seven.

In addition to children being responsible for their actions, juveniles commit the same crimes as adults. In 2008 about one in every 100 juveniles were arrested for robbery (Lange). When juveniles commit smaller crimes such as robbery they are more often tried as kids. This gives them slightly less severe punishments. Adults who do the same get harsher punishments. Is this fair? It’s the same crime, so why not the same punishment? The juveniles had to have known what they were doing, so why the difference? There should be no difference. Juveniles are just as responsible for their actions as adults, so why not try them as adults. When juveniles commit a crime such as murder they are first given a hearing to determine if they should be tried as adults or as kids. If they are tried as juveniles, they cannot be given a life sentence. People say it is fair because they are just children. Yes, children who have killed someone. Does anyone want to walk around knowing some of the people around them could have killed someone as a child?

Juveniles who get out of juvenile centers are likely to be back in detention centers again. “Most juveniles will be in handcuffs within a year” (Watkins 40). Juveniles are out and back in detention centers shortly after. The logical thing to do is try them as adults and get them the harsher punishments they need and help prevent future crimes. People say juveniles are kids and need to be treated like kids. However, the same people say kids need to be more prepared for the real world. If juveniles don’t receive the hard punishments they deserve, they will be in and out of detention centers and when they are adults they will not have learned their lessons and will not be prepared for the punishments they receive.

Juveniles should be tried as adults, there’s no point in having them in and out of juvenile detention centers. Juveniles are fully responsible for their actions, they commit the same crimes as adults, and three-fourths of them are back in detention centers within three years (Watkins 40). Save the hassle of multiple hearings deciding if they are tried as kids or adults. Prevent the extra court cases of delinquents that are back in court. Try juveniles as adults the first time.