I am glad you addressed the issue of minors being tried as adults. Youth are tried in adult criminal courts to make the punishment harsher and hopefully deter them from committing such an act again. However, prosecuting children as adults has not decreased juvenile crime, as the intended policy hoped it would. Eighty percent of the youth released from adult facilities that later on commit more serious crimes, is a very alarming statistic that you pointed out. The fact that only two states still incarcerate youth in adult facilities, exemplify that the policy is not working. It is necessary that we look into why and how other states abandoned this practice so that we can encourage New York and North Carolina to do the same. Essentially, any policy that unfairly targets a group of people needs to be revised.
Bryttnee, Thank you for choosing to write your problem memo on this topic, I learned a lot and am curious to read more!
Your points are clearly stated and evidence surely leads to the seriousness of this problem. Your most important points include statistics on suicide, brain development of adolescents, the role that race plays in this issue, the story of Browder, and the numbers of youths that have been incarcerated as adults.
One question I have is that you cite that many youths are still developing into their mid-20s. Meaning that even 18-25 year olds, who are incarcerated as adults in the other 48 states, may face that same repercussions you describe for 16-18 year olds in New York and North Carolina. How do you deal with this?
Hi Bryttnee,
I am glad you addressed the issue of minors being tried as adults. Youth are tried in adult criminal courts to make the punishment harsher and hopefully deter them from committing such an act again. However, prosecuting children as adults has not decreased juvenile crime, as the intended policy hoped it would. Eighty percent of the youth released from adult facilities that later on commit more serious crimes, is a very alarming statistic that you pointed out. The fact that only two states still incarcerate youth in adult facilities, exemplify that the policy is not working. It is necessary that we look into why and how other states abandoned this practice so that we can encourage New York and North Carolina to do the same. Essentially, any policy that unfairly targets a group of people needs to be revised.
Bryttnee, Thank you for choosing to write your problem memo on this topic, I learned a lot and am curious to read more!
Your points are clearly stated and evidence surely leads to the seriousness of this problem. Your most important points include statistics on suicide, brain development of adolescents, the role that race plays in this issue, the story of Browder, and the numbers of youths that have been incarcerated as adults.
One question I have is that you cite that many youths are still developing into their mid-20s. Meaning that even 18-25 year olds, who are incarcerated as adults in the other 48 states, may face that same repercussions you describe for 16-18 year olds in New York and North Carolina. How do you deal with this?