In this contemporary epoch, there has been a debate over whether or not juvenile criminals should be imposed the same sentences as adults. While I agree that this view is justifiable in some extent, I hold a firm belief that treating lawbreakers regardless of age has some detrimental effects.
On the one hand, there exist two primary reasons why I agree with this statement. In the first place, punishing young offenders strictly as the older ones will act as a deterrent to potential criminals. To be more specific, many underage convicts with light penalties are not fully aware of the consequences of their behaviours, which results in disregard toward law and government, thus having more potential to commit more sophisticated crimes in the future as grown-ups. In the second place, imposing unaccountable sentences for serious offenders, such as killers, would be an injustice to the victims and their families. A prime example of this is the Le Van Luyen case, where the murderer was out of the death penalty due to being a few months younger than the legal age.
On the other hand, I am convinced that juvenile justice law should include age as a factor in imposing punishments. The first and perhaps the most predominant reason is that most underage convicts are mostly immature to be held accountable for such harsh sentences. To be more precise, teenagers are not entirely aware of moral suspicion and the capability to carry such harsh sentences as grown-ups do. Therefore, unsuitable punishments may influence their emotional health negatively, leading to abnormal personal growth. Last but not least, penalties should be solely based on humane and rehabilitation. When being given a second chance, young lawbreakers have more opportunities to learn a valuable lesson, reintegrate into society and become good role models. In this way, the government can show the value of education, hence boosting a safer community.
In conclusion, from my aforementioned points, I reaffirmed that there should be lenient punishment for juvenile criminals owing to their immaturity and higher chance of rehabilitation, however, it should depend on various conditions.