research paper

Matt Cleary

Mrs. Zurkowski

Greens

1 October 2010

Title

            Many kids waste their lives in jails with adult sentences. They don’t learn anything and are stuck with a bunch of adult criminals. When they come out of jail they don’t have anything to help them get a job so they are most likely on the streets fending for themselves in adulthood and most likely end up in jail again. Too many kids under 18 are being tried and sentenced as adults.

            A lot of kids get life sentences for something an adult would get a life sentence for. They miss their lives, childhood, and are living with adults. They don’t get to have regular friends their age and don’t get to play and have fun. There are alternative punishments like juvenile school. This is where the kids that have gotten in trouble go to a locked up school with other kids and then go home with their parents at night.

            Kids under 18 should never get a life sentence. They should always get a second chance. Why would you want to lock kids up in jail for their life? Their brains have not fully developed and they might not know what they are doing. Most children deeply regret the things they did that were wrong right after they did it. A lot of kids also become better people if they get a second chance and they see the kindness in other people’s hearts (juvenile justice bulletin).

            A solution for people who think kids should still be punished is a juvenile school. I know I have said it before but it’s a good idea. A kid named Bob Beaman ran away, robed people, and stole from them. His grand mom took the blame for him so he wouldn’t get in as much trouble.  He still had to suffer for what he did so they put him in a juvenile prison for a couple years. He became an Olympic long jumper and set a world record. If he was put in a real jail for a couple years he wouldn’t be able to be who he is (juvenile justice bulletin).

            Some people think that they should still be in jail no matter what age they are because they did something bad. All I have to say to that is what if it was your child wouldn’t you want to see your child in your house every night, be able to go upstairs and say good night to them every night without having to say it through a mike.

            Some people also say that they don’t want dangerous kids running around causing mischief and doing whatever they want. The thing is there are some kids who have good hearts and made a mistake. I agree that there are bad kids in the world with bad intentions but all we can do for them is try to help them and get them treatment like medicine and therapy. Most bad behaved kids have something going on in their lives with their parents or something like that.

In conclusion i think that all states should change their law so anyone under 18 years old is not allowed to go to an adult prison or have an adult sentence. Kids are getting too many life and adult sentences to often.

Works Cited

“second chances: giving kids a chance to make a better choice.” Juvenile Justice bulletin. May 2000: 1 – 28. Sirs Government reporter.web.01 Oct 2010