While authorities are seeking working methods to reduce the crime rate among youngsters, the same punishments as for adults are considered as one of the options. However, I disagree that treating youngsters similarly to elders is a reasonable practice.
Firstly, the sanctions envisaged for adults could severely harm the mental health of youngsters. While I concede that at any age, criminals should carry full responsibility for their actions, methods should be chosen based on cognitive abilities that are different from age to age. To be precise, the adult mental perception might stand and accept the consequences of misbehavior, while the psyche of younger ones could not only draw the wrong conclusions but also cause mental disorders. Therefore, despite the fact that the awareness of minors of the possibility of having a similar penalty as adults could stop them from committing a crime, the penalty itself is highly unlikely to be efficient since the younger people are, the more fragile their minds are.
Secondly, similarly harsh punishments could lead to unemployment and a significant fall in a country’s development. Obviously, adult offenders sentenced to jail have a basic education (e.g., schools, universities), while younger criminals do not. As the court system does not provide any educational programs during the term of imprisonment, minors would lack basic information. Consequentially, once released, they will have lower intellectual ability than their peers and will struggle to find even a simple job to pay for their fundamental basic needs. As a result, unemployment and poverty rates will rise.
In conclusion, while lawbreakers of all ages must accept full responsibility in society, the government’s response should incorporate a contrast of emotional resistance and competence. As a result, I disagree that juvenile felons should be treated the same as adults due to increased risk of mental illness and lower intelligence.