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Minors: Charged As Adults

Abstract
Juvenile crime and child abuse are both major problems in this country. If a child is left in a home with an adult that physically or sexually assaults the child; that is called child abuse. The government sends child abusers to prison, as it should. When the child is sent to a home of abusers by the government, that is some how called justice. There are many controversies regarding the way to handle juvenile crime. Sending a juvenile to live in a prison with adult criminals cannot possibly be the best solution.

Introduction
How should America deal with juvenile offenders? Should juveniles that commit violent crimes be locked away forever in order to protect society? Should our young offenders be sent to an adult prison, with an adult sentence, in order to set an example and deter other juvenile crimes? Should America be trying to rehabilitate these children so they are someday capable of returning to society? There is much controversy on how to deal with the ever-growing problem of juvenile crime.
There are many different opinions regarding the way America handles juvenile crime. Some believe that if an adult crime (such as murder) is committed, then an adult sentence is appropriate. Some believe that juveniles cannot be held as accountable for their actions as adults, because they are in fact, children. Some believe that the death penalty serves as justice even if the offender is a child. Though there are many harsh opinions on how to discipline young offenders in America, sending helpless children to an adult prison where they cannot possibly defend themselves against adult criminals should be a crime in itself.
Several years ago a news broadcaster interviewed a twelve-year-old boy in a maximum- security prison yard. When asked why he was in an adult prison, he responded that he had stolen a car that had ended in a high-speed chase damaging many police cars. This was not a violent offense. Many people believe that only the...