The Collin’s Dictionary provided the meaning of juvenile as child or young person who

is not yet old enough to be regarded as an adult. The juveniles have not reached their maturity

age in which they will be considered as individuals who do not make decisions based on their

rational thinking. However, most crime cases nowadays involve juveniles but, would it be right

to punish or sentence them with the weight used to the adults?

Definitely, no. Juvenile offenders should not be sentenced based on the criterion used for

adult offenders. A young person is still not matured enough in making choices. His acts are just

based on his emotions without considering the consequences of them. Further, they tend to

believe to those who are older than them and their decisions are mostly influenced by others.

Juveniles did not have the cognitive development compared to the adults and these young ones

still need adequate protection instead of being sentenced of life imprisonment or worst death

after committing heinous crimes. In some countries like Philippines, one of the mitigating

circumstances is minority which means those who have not reached 18 years of age should

receive sentence 1 or 2 degrees lower based on the given facts and some others countries

mitigate crimes too through this ground.

In the United States, according to the PBS Frontline online article “Child or Adult? A

century Long View”, they have a separate court for adults and juveniles. However, as the law

and their justice system evolve, not all juveniles who committed crime will be dealt within the

juvenile court instead, it should be argued first why that certain offender must be catered though

that special court. For the record, only US is the only country in the world where justice system

sentences these young children of life imprisonment after being found guilty of the crime/s they

did. Every country practices sovereignty especially in their justice system but as to the system

which US upholds, the government should revisit their law. Juveniles can never be adults thus, a

gap between the two should be implemented. In deciding cases in which a juvenile is the

offender, the vanguards of justice must uphold fairness and equilibrium within the legal system.

US and any other countries who wish to apply to juveniles the jail sentence used for adults, this

issue was serious.

Nevertheless, rehabilitation is my resolve to the issue. These young children should not

be put to jail up to their death after committing heinous crimes or be sentenced according to the

weight of their offence because this act is stealing a future to someone who has a brighter one. I
am not also saying to totally free them. It is good to imprison them to teach them the hardest way

that what they did was a violation of the law and they go against the rights of others but it is not

proper to verdict them with the same weight as how adult offenders face. After these juveniles be

released from prison, the government should provide programs for them which focuses mainly to

education, religion, community works as well as goal-setting and decision-making to expand

their mental capacity as a young one. These juveniles should be equipped for a brighter future

away from who they are before. They deserve second chances to the society not as an act of

tolerating their wrong deeds but giving them a new life to correct their previous mistakes

because considering their age, they can still be a hope for the country once they will be taught

better and if they will be willing to submit themselves too.

Rehabilitation programs and even infrastructures designed to cater the juvenile offenders

and upon verdict, he has to serve his sentence right away but hopefully with modifications to the

laws. Utmost considerations must be given to these irrational individuals who cannot even decide

well. The law should not see juveniles as adults because certainly, these young ones are just

hiding from their mother’s shorts Sir. In making choices, be wise enough for them because living

can be many but our life is only one. Juveniles should be treated as juveniles in the country’s

justice system, with a focus on rehabilitating rather than simply punishing.

References:

Chief, E. I. (2019, March 26). 22 Should Juveniles Be Tried as Adults Pros and Cons. Retrieved
from https://connectusfund.org/22-should-juveniles-be-tried-as-adults-pros-and-cons

Juvenile Justice History - Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.cjcj.org/education1/juvenile-justice-history.html