Whether juveniles who commit felonies should be charged as adults is a debated and controversial matter. I fully agree that young criminals should be charged as adults. This essay aims to discuss both perspectives before arguing in favour of punishing young criminals as adults.
On the one hand, committing a serious offence is a choice. Therefore, it deserves to be punished harshly regardless of the offender’s age. Young people possess sufficient cognitive maturity to distinguish between right and wrong. Furthermore, charging young individuals as adults would remove them from society for a longer period of time, which would arguably make the environment safer. Moreover, it would set an example for other people not to commit the same crimes. Young offenders are often sent to juvenile centres and rehabilitation programmes instead of adult prisons, where they serve shorter sentences and face less severe conditions. It could also be argued that imprisonment may make them reflect on their actions.
On the other hand, not all crimes committed are intentional. For instance, killing someone in genuine self-defence should not be punished. Additionally, prisons are filled with hardened criminals, and this environment could influence young individuals, who are still developing emotionally and psychologically, to engage further in criminal activities once they are released. In addition, young people who are charged as adults may view the justice system as unfair which might cause them to carry out more crimes as an act of rebellion. Young people who have done terrible crimes may suffer from underlying mental health issues and therefore deserves treatment and help to become better people.
In conclusion, young criminals should be charged as adults, as this would ensure the safety of the community and prevent other teenagers from following in their footsteps.