Should juvenile laws be done away with?

[ShadezMcgee]

Controversial hot take incoming, but seriously, should juvenile laws remain in place as they are? Obviously state laws are different, but personally I think a lot of juveniles abuse the system as a way to get away with crimes with a slap on the wrist.

A lot of these kids can discern right from wrong. A lot of them brag and repeat the process because the punishment is light to nonexistent. They also have identity protection for their crimes as well. So when you see these kids do something serious like murder, breaking and entering, assault, robbery, carjacking, etc. Why do they get so much protection, especially as a repeat offender?

I say the laws need updating and to the point of them being tried as adults. But I am curious to what others think.

[Screenwriter]

Many, and I mean MANY studies have been done about the maturity level of adolescents. The adolescent brain is not finished maturing until about age 25, especially in males.

What you say about abuse of the system DOES hold water. But here's the skinny about juveniles getting away with crimes with a slap on the wrist. ADULTS USE JUVENILES TO COMMIT CRIMES THEY CANNOT GET AWAY WITH. That is the bottom line about juvenile crime. Adults orchestrate it for their ends.

Juveniles do not have the planning or foresight to commit serious crimes. And there are millions of desperate kids. It doesn't matter to criminal adults when I kid is killed. It matters if one of their top people dies.

So adults dangle cash in front of poor children who've been raised in criminal situations and families and it is too easy for these children to participate, and we have to realize a 15 -year-old IS A CHILD. Thinks and acts like a child. Brags and struts like a child.

A wise adult who's gotten away with a crime says little about it.

Ignorant children broadcast it through their networks so they're seen as a "big dog.

So, laws that protect juveniles are in place because THERE IS HOPE that a system that intervenes in juvenile crime HAS A CHANCE to save that juvenile. There's just about no chance to save a 30, 40 or 50- year-old who's spent their life in crime.

This system is woefully understaffed by state and federal dollars because so many believe that punishment stops crime, when it never has and never will. There are loads of studies that show punishment neither deters nor stops crime..

What solves crime is programs and money to financially support and aid families and children with medical benefits, financial benefits and for the children, especially, education.

Jail is the end of the line for hope.

[ShadezMcgee]

Yes, we know the brain isn't fully developed until the age of 25, but that does not excuse the fact that a majority of these kids can and so know right from wrong. Maturity level falls more in like the the social status and on a case by case basis.

I do not believe adults use juveniles as much as you claim here. I believe a lot of them are drawn to gangs and bad influences and see them as the closest thing to family because they don't have the best parents or their parents are not as involved in their lives and disciplining them as they should be.

Do juveniles not have their own choices? Are they not the ones who choose to spend their time doing things they know are bad and give the fake tears or the "I'm sorry" treatment because they got caught over truly being remorseful for the sections they did?

I believe there is a huge differences in crimes committed between juveniles that do something less serious like truancy, minor drug possession, or petty theft in which identities could be protected and reformation is more of a plausible option. However that line is crossed when it becomes very violent or fatal, in this situation carjacking, murder, robbery, Assault, endangering the public to throw cops off.

My sister is a well respected cop in the city. The amount of juveniles she has seen as repeat offenders would always taunt her and her fellow cops after committing these crimes, especially the car jacking or theft to the point they had their information saved for the second they did it again at 18. The excuse was "I am a minor, I will be out in 24 hours anyway." Or "I'm just a kid" as if it was a shield.

Kids that are repeat offenders or have a criminal track record up to when they turn 18 and continue realistically are going to end up two places. In prison or dead in a gutter.

[Screenwriter]

There is knowing right from wrong. Sure these kids do. But kids do not reckon with consequences. The fact is most of them get away with doing wrong and make loads of money doing so. They gain status in the criminal world. And the gang issue, right again. So you DO ANYTHING FOR YOUR FAMILY, It doesn't matter that it's a dysfunctional, criminal family. And when the only value is being in the family gang and making money, this is a sad situation.

And again, as children, they cannot imagine getting caught, finally at 18 and going to jail for a decade or 20 years. It's unimaginable.

It's only imaginable for kids who read and have experiences outside of criminal life.

I just had a long conversation with a young man who owns a 1.5 million dollar tree-cutting company. LOVELY person, excellent businessman, does beautiful work.

[Screenwriter]

He, out of the blue, told me his life story. Father a criminal in the drug business. A kingpin. Wanted Travis to follow in his footsteps. something made travis want something different and he went to live with another relative... Changed his life. He went to college, found a woman he loved, swore to her he'd be faithful and always take care of her and his family. (he was one of 10 children his father sired with 7 women).

He's kept his promise and is a successful investor and businessman. Had to have a permanenet grill removed from his mouth that his dad had installed when he was 15. Cost 60,000 in dental work to repair his teeth.

His brother went to prison for a decade. His sister was invovled with the father too. He had them working for him, but had to cut them off because they wouldn't follow his instructions, though they had no real world business experience.

His dad was shot up with six bullets, recovered and died of lung cancer at 40 something. When he was dying he told Travis NOT to follow in his footsteps, finally. But just think if Travis HAD by that time. How could he have turned himself around?

This is just one example of adults luring their OWN children into their nefarious businesses. But that's all his father knew and because it made money, lots of money, for some reason, that made his illegal business All right.

Travis found a way out, but he had a few doors opened to him and he opened his eyes when most people have them closed. He also embraced some level of Christianity.

[Screenwriter]

This is just one example. I bet there are so many more.

[NoDecision]

Not done away with, just making sure that the time fits the crime and stop being so lenient. There is so much crime being committed by juvenile offenders that it is time to take off the kid gloves and hold them accountable.

[MisterWack]

Children shouldn’t be held responsible for their actions except for serious offenses like dismemberment, murder, animal cruelty, cyberbullying (taken too far), and more.

If children do offenses, they should be allowed to have therapy sessions, be on a watchlist just to deter future offenses as an adult, and path to a ‘normal’ life (surface level opinion)

I just don’t feel like it is right to put a child in prison for years or treat them like hardened criminals when it isn’t extreme…. It is like the whole ‘mandatory minimum sentences’ thing and I’m against that too. We have so many prisons in this country compared to rest of the world, so much street crime, and we should try to do something productive by not feeding into this ‘culture’ like reopening the asylums with what we know now & allowing more people to enter the field to take care of these individuals who were misdiagnosed or treated as something they aren’t.

Just my opinion, it is a flawed opinion though I can only write so much of my feelings into a well crafted piece… I have so many thoughts & feelings and try to learn more about the subject, I do plan on doing more research.

[ShadezMcgee]

I don't disagree with minor things like petty theft, truancy, minor drug possession like weed. I was moreso getting at not being lenient or coddling them or their identities when they do the extreme shit like you mentioned.

[Summeroflove]

Juvenile Justice seems to be more restorative as where as the normal justice system tends to be more focused on punishing the criminal.

It does depend on what offenses are committed however some offenses are called status offenses meaning they can only be committed by juveniles. A example of that would be truancy, using tobacco products, alcohol, in states where marijuana is legal, disobeying parents, and things of that nature. Status offenses are the juvenile equivalent of adult offenses.

The point of juvenile Justice is to give juveniles another chance as well as correct behavior before they are adults. Every state is different some have another set of laws, some have another set of sentencing requirements, as well as how they system is set up can be VERY different.

Juveniles can and are sometimes charged as adults for some offenses. Depending on the severity as well as what it is.

[ShadezMcgee]

I agree in terms of the things like truancy, alcohol, minor drug possession and even petty theft, but for me I don't believe the hiding of identity or their public record file should be hidden if the crime is a severe one, especially if it is felony related. Like murder, Assault, armed robbery kind of deal. That's what I am getting at. Those savage degenerates that flex and use the "I am a minor card" when apprehended by the police and then follow up with the "I will be out in a few days again, bet!" Is where I feel these laws need to be taken and expedited on a case by case basis.

[Summeroflove]

I messed up I meant a delinquent offense can only be committed by a minor. Status is the juvenile equivalent of a adult offense

[Summeroflove]

I agree with that and they can be charged as adults in some states.

[D_Bone_Steak]

I think you're correct. I grew up in Los Angeles zone and I remember them specifically looking for minors to do certain crimes just to get away with it. They don't punish them the same because minors. I feel the same about the double standards held for women. I really fucking feel the same about that 2 tier justice system that was being held for Biden's "migrants" over people born here.

This is a big problem that is spread all over the place and minors doing crimes should just be treated the same as anyone else.

[DrPepper12]

That's a great question! I posted on here a while ago about schools in my region where for the first quarter of the year the lowest grade that we can give is a 50 instead of the 12 that they actually earned. The philosophy behind that is you don't want to take the kid out of the game after 10 weeks when they're still 30 more to go.

I kind of see this question similarly. You don't want to ruin the kids life so early BUT there are exceptions! Some kids ARE just bad seeds by nature or nurture or both. I think they should remain in place for first time or even second time offenders depending upon the crime. That said, a VERY VERY SMALL MINORITY of kids should be locked up in utero...

[Agape93]

Yeap. If you rape, steal, abuse, beat or kill, you should get the same penalty as an adult

[dustybiker2]

Absolutely not. There are some twisted individuals born that way.

[Jennz6]

Social media has banned juveniles in Florida

[ShadezMcgee]

Okay, but what does that have to do with juvenile crime laws needing possible updates for certain crimes instead of leniency despite the severity?

[Jennz6]

@ShadezMcgee
Everything is posted on social media

[ShadezMcgee]

I understand they post these on social media because a lot of these kids are retarded in recording their crimes in an attempt to flex, but that still doesn't resolve anything.

Even without social media, these kids are still doing these kinds of crimes. That's what I was getting at.

[Jennz6]

Good, thanks

[ShadezMcgee]

What?

[onedarkcloud]

I can't complain with what you are saying and the laws should be revamped to adjust what should be prosecuted as a minor or as an adult criminal.