Punishment
They are old enough to be tried as adults
Iran’s use of the death penalty against persons convicted of crimes committed while they were under 18 years of age may seem cruel, inhumane and blatantly unlawful. But it is not necessarily so. Most juvenile systems around the world work very well for majority of offenders, but there are many juveniles who need to be prosecuted and sentenced as adults. Some juveniles commit crimes so serious and heinous, that public safety demands full accountability. If they are old enough to plan a murder or rape, they are old enough to be tried as adults. Many may argue this is unfair and unjust. Their argument is that the juvenile brain is not fully developed until well into the twenties. Therefore, a juvenile should not be held to the same standards as an adult offender. Developing young brains do not prevent deliberate, thoughtful actions. This can’t be an excuse for unspeakable behavior. It cannot be used as a basis to ignore addressing some of the most serious crimes in our criminal justice system. Many may believe that the consequence of rehabilitation and later re-entering society, are absolutely good. On the contrary, a higher possibility is that because of their criminal record and deficit in education, juvenile delinquents, even those who have been reformed, will find extreme difficulty becoming productive members of society. Deterring juveniles seems more effective when the severity of punishment is simply shown to those at risk of becoming delinquents. Maintaining an atmosphere of fear is necessary to deter criminals, especially the young ones. When criminals see that there is an easy way out they are more likely to commit criminal actions. Strict punishment should be the more ethical course of action.
From Rohit Singh,
Advocate based in Delhi, India
Alternative
Rehabilitation should be used as punishment
The definition of juvenile is a young person, mostly a child. Children learn from their surroundings — their families, peers, and other role models. They follow what they hear and see. Therefore, it is possible that they can commit a crime unknowingly. It may seem normal to a child who may have grown up witnessing delinquent behaviour. If a child commits a crime, he or she needs to be helped, not be locked away in some an adult prison where they may only be more influenced by people adult criminals. I believe that the juvenile criminal justice system should focus on using rehabilitation as a punishment. I feel that if punishment was more long term with primary focus on rehabilitation, it would be far more effective. Juveniles are easier to mold than adults, most of them will be successfully rehabilitated and become productive members of society. When people are punished they are just locked up and told that they were wrong, but not why they were wrong, with rehabilitation children will be made aware of the crime they committed and its effects, on themselves and society. It would shape their minds to think about other people. Many people who commit crimes and continue to re-offend do so either because they do not understand how to be productive members of society, or because they are ignorant. This can be changed through rehabilitation.
From Ms Liza B. Nurse and activist based in Maldives
Maturity
Morals are inherent from birth
Gina Savini, an assistant state’s attorney from Illinois, United States, who prosecutes cases in Cook County’s juvenile court said in an interview once: “If they are old enough to pick up a gun and shoot it, they’re old enough to take responsibility for their actions”.
Murderers, rapists, and other criminals are being released from jail everyday after serving very short and lenient sentences. Who are these criminals? These are juveniles who commit adult crimes. They are being tried in juvenile courts, receiving shortened sentences, and they are being released and given new identities to continue to live their lives in peaceful and happy bliss, all while their victims and their families are left to suffer forever. I agree with writer, Jessica Wilde when she writes: “Morals are inherent from birth”. Children and adults should know the difference between right and wrong. According to writer, Jessica Reaves, in an article on TIME magazine: “Kids today are more sophisticated at a younger age; they understand the implications of violence and how to use violent weapons. It is absurd to argue that a modern child, who sees the effect of violence around him in the news every day, doesn’t understand what killing really is. The fact that child killers know how to load and shoot a gun is an indicator that they understand exactly what they’re doing.” Why should juveniles be treated any different than adults when the crimes they are committing are every bit as heinous as adult crimes?
From Mr Andrew Paul,
Operations executive based in Dubai
