The first juvenile court in the United States did not open until 1899. Before that, children over the age of seven who broke law they were sent to adult prisons. Today there is a juvenile justice system, but there are still many juveniles tried as adults. Youth crime is not necessarily increasing, but crimes are getting worse. Crimes are becoming increasingly violent and frightening. The way crimes are shown in the media makes the public angry and want justice done. This is where the “get tough” plan comes in. Many states have laws in place that allow them to charge minors as adults. The number of juveniles in adult prisons doubled from 1985 to 1997, which shows that our justice system is actually becoming harsher on juvenile criminals. However, getting stricter may not help much. Changing laws makes it easier to send juveniles to adult prisons, but it also increases youth recidivism rates. So the question of this essay is “should juveniles be tried as adults?”. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Many people think that juveniles should be tried as adults and sent to adult prisons. They believe that sending them to adult prisons is a form of justice for the victims and their loved ones. It also shows that the “get tough” plan is in effect and that if you commit a crime you have to serve your sentence. People also believe that sending juveniles to adult prisons will deter future crimes committed by other juveniles. When sent to adult prisons, juveniles are subjected to a trial by jury rather than simply a trial by judge. There doesn't seem to be much good that comes out of juveniles going to adult prisons. When juveniles go to adult prisons, they are more likely to come out and commit more crimes and even worse crimes than the ones that put them in prison in the first place. Being in prison with adult inmates and interacting with them on a daily basis can provide juveniles with information about how to commit crimes. They could leave prison with this information and are likely to use it and get into further trouble. Juveniles should not be tried as adults and sent to adult prisons. A child cannot be reformed by being punished and put in the same cell as hard-core criminals, criminals who have made a lifelong career out of committing crimes. There are things that happen in prisons that minors should not suffer. Juvenile adult prisoners are more likely to experience sexual abuse from staff and fellow prisoners. They are also at greater risk of being physically abused by adult inmates. Juveniles are also more likely to commit suicide because they don't have those special services for them in adult prisons. One solution proposed by some is to place minors in solitary confinement to protect them. Solitary confinement may protect them, but it will keep them in a small cell for 23 hours a day. It will take away all the little services they might have available to them. It will not be beneficial for them. I think sending juveniles to adult prisons and prisons is a way to save money. According to Monsen, 2007, it is cheaper to simply send children to prison than to send them to a training or rehabilitation facility. The city or state might save money by sending them to prison or adult prison, but in the end they hurt them even more. It's moreIt is difficult for them to find work or go back to school with criminal records, when they are tried as juveniles their records are sealed and they have a better chance of succeeding in life. Sending juveniles to prison could also send a message of lost hope. It might make them feel like they have no future other than being a criminal. This concept says to throw them away, give up and forget about forgiveness. Instead of being sent to the principal's office for not following school rules, children are arrested. Schools have started a “Zero Tolerance” project and things they would once have handled themselves, they are now having school resource officers handle. Juveniles arrested at school for minor crimes lead to them being thrown into the school-prison system. According to Lehman 2017, the brain does not fully develop until a person is around age 25, and rational decision making is the last thing to develop. Young people cannot quickly understand the consequences of their actions; they don't think about the future. I think we should at least try to give kids a chance at rehabilitation and if that doesn't work then try something else. Some people have tried to get rid of the juvenile justice system altogether. In most cases, criminal and juvenile courts have different staff with the same position; one to manage the youth, one to manage the adults. Getting rid of the juvenile system and merging it with the penal system will save money. They will be able to halve their employees. They would also save money by not having to pay for resources and facilities used by the juvenile system. It would save money, but it would hurt us in the long run. How about a child who is stopped by the police at 4am for running away from home? Or the child with some mental illness that has yet to be diagnosed? Are they just thrown in prison? This is where the resources of the juvenile justice system come in and the child can talk to someone and get the help they need. “Reintroducing minors into the penal system inevitably means abandoning in whole or in part the notion of minors' lesser responsibility for their conduct.” It would be as if we forgot the fact that young people's brains do not fully develop before the age of 25. People think juveniles should be in adult prisons, but some even believe they deserve the death penalty. In 2000, 23 states allowed the execution of juveniles. 813 people were asked whether or not they supported the death penalty, and 53.5% were strongly or somewhat in favor of the death penalty for juveniles. This study shows that the majority believes that the death penalty for juveniles is acceptable. Officials must choose between which juveniles receive juvenile justice and which juveniles receive criminal justice. Their choice depends on whether the minor has committed a crime in the past and also depends on the color of his skin. Of course, juveniles who have criminal records are at greater risk of being sent to adult prisons. Juveniles who are at greater risk of being sent to adult rather than juvenile prisons are juveniles. Juveniles in adult prisons have more problems than juveniles in a juvenile justice center. According to Leigey and Hodge 2013, juveniles incarcerated in adult prisons are more likely to act violently when faced with the stress of prison life and confinement. Minors who go to adult prisons before their 18th birthday behave differently than minors detained in juvenile facilities. They often commit serious personal crimes in prisons for.