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Juvenile Offenders

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Should Juvenile Offenders Be Tried and Punished As Adult Offenders?
Steven W. Eudy
Columbia Southern University
EH 1020: English Composition II
Professor John Willey
February 28, 2011

Abstract

In America, it seems as though the crime rate grows on a daily basis. While the crime rate continues to grow so does the number of juvenile offenders that are involved in criminal activity. Since late 1980’s, the number of juvenile arrests, has risen steadily and has continued to rise every year since then. With juvenile offenders committing the same crimes as adult offenders, it seems as though the juveniles should be tried and punished to the same extinct as the adult offenders that commit the same crimes. Juvenile courts have been put into place to handle the trials of juveniles and are used for guidance rather than punishment. Juvenile courts were introduced as a method to keep juveniles out of the adult courts until the age of 18, which defines a juvenile as an adult. As the crime rate continues to grow and more juveniles continue to commit adult crimes or serious violent crimes, will the juvenile court system be adequate for juvenile trials and enacting punishment for crimes that are committed by juveniles?

Should Juvenile Offenders Be Tried and Punished As Adult Offenders?

In law a juvenile is defined as a person who is not old enough to be held responsible for criminal acts. In most states and on the federal level, this age is set at 18 years. For example in Wyoming a juvenile is a person under the age of 19. In other states a juvenile is considered a person under the age of 17, and in Connecticut, New York, and North Carolina, a juvenile is considered a person under the age of 16. These age definitions for juveniles vary from state to state. Each states age definition is significant because they determine whether a young person accused of a

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