It is believed that youngsters who commit serious crime should be treated the same ways as adults. In my opinion, I completely agree with this view of point.
There are some reasons why same punishments should be applied to both young and matured criminals. First, different levels of punishments can result in a higher number of young criminals. For example, if young offenders who commit a serious crime are not strictly punished, they are more likely to re-offend in the future. Another reason is that it is unjust for the victims and families if government follow policies which are soft on crime. In fact, serious action such as a violent attack can potentially become a murder, which is too vile for punishments such as being sent to prison. Therefore, it is crucial that governments must implement a policy of zero tolerance in order to prevent both young and adult criminals from re-offending.
Having said that, it is claimed by some that youngsters do not have adequate understanding and the weight of their actions. However, this statement is not supported by the fact that the majority of juveniles today are equipped with fundamental knowledge and awareness about their rights and the consequences of crimes. Therefore, young criminals might use their rights against the law in order to lower or even get away with their sentence, which is unfair to the victims and their families.
In conclusion, I believe that teenagers who turn to serious crime should be treated the same ways as matures inmates, despite the belief that they might lack knowledge or experience.