With the increasing concern about human rights in recent decades, it is widely acknowledged that minors and mature individuals should be given equal treatment. I take the opposite stance on this issue, as child offenders must be integrated into society as fast as possible and children do not perceive repercussions of crime before committing in a same way as adults.
The main argument in favour of my position is that, adolescants are in the first stage of their lives, that is why they are more prone to learn a lot from their mistakes and avoid sloppery slopes of fate during the rest of their lifetimes in order to be prepared to contribute to the prosperity of their homeland again. Over this period governmental institutions in conjunction with community should do their best to encourage young perpetrators to become active and responsible member of society. However, appropriate rehabilitation techniques are needed for preventing ill-minded population in a country. Striking a balance between correct punisment decision and restoration of social acceptance holds keys to creating a safer and more inclusive public.
Of equal significance, comparing mature and juvenile criminals, attorneys and judges should take their intentions and awareness of what is legally permitted and restricted into account while deciding severity of punishment. While adults are grown enough to be prudent in law-breaking situations, individuals in adolescence development era might be ignorant in judging the invisible side of iceberg. A case in point is 68% of mature inmates in Alcatraz Penitentiary refute having any remorse for their wrongdoing. Thus, punishment should not only reflect the seriousness of the crime but also consider the offender’s age, intentions, and ability to comprehend the consequences of their actions.
To sum up, I contend that should authorities put a premium on rehabilitating and reintegrating criminals, especially, minors, society will take the advantage of socially and morally conscious citizens. Otherwise, a segment of the youth will negatively be influenced in terms of mental and personality development.