Should juveniles be held for life without parole?

badshotbob · 10-14-2005, 09:41 PM

Kenneth Roth, Executive Director for Human Rights Watch thinks so.
He claims that kids should be given a second chance as they grow into adulthood in order to experience life, that it isn't fair to not give a kid another chance.

He also has a problem with kids being tried and sentenced as adults in some states.

Well. These kids had a lack of judgement. Yes. Just a lack of judgement. Let them off to grow into adulthood?

CalHunter · 10-14-2005, 11:23 PM

I know juveniles can be held until age 21 in CA. I don't know about life without parole but I do think a juvenile should be able to be held until age 30 or 40 so as to impliment some severe penalties. Hopefully sentences like that would discourage other juveniles from committing serious crimes.

gonzodemon · 10-14-2005, 11:32 PM

i dont think anyone even a kid should be free who beats another to death with a stick just to see what its like. or shoots a school house full of kids because he wasnt hugged enough. if you kill premeditated and so vialently that it boggles the mind it shouldnt matter your age you need never see freedom again.

North Texan · 10-15-2005, 12:15 AM

Tough one. I am all for the death penalty and everything, but it would be hard to strap a 9 year old into the chair and flip the switch. I say wait and let them turn 18,

then flip the switch.

Champlain Islander · 10-16-2005, 11:17 AM

You'll make a good lawyer NT...If you don't make it there you can always grab an ax, flash those wild eyes, show off your hump and answer to the name Igor.

aunsaber · 10-16-2005, 11:29 AM

IMHO if they do the crime they need tosuffer the penalties that go with that crime.
Society would be a lot differant if kids andadults KNOW they have to answer for their actions.
Young kids know or should know right from wrong and also know that there are no free passes if they screw up.
Especially for violent crimes.
When young people rearlize that they are responsible for what they do, they will be better adults.

North Texan · 10-16-2005, 06:04 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Champlain Islander

You'll make a good lawyer NT...If you don't make it there you can always grab an ax, flash those wild eyes, show off your hump and answer to the name Igor.

Igor? I was thinking more along the lines of Boris.

BenGarrett · 10-16-2005, 06:20 PM

I am not familiar with the juvenile justice systems in many other states, but in Tennessee, juvenile incarceration is different from adult incarceration in that it is designed to actually "rehabilitate" the convicted child. In a perfect world, our juvenile detention facilities would work as they are intended, the child could be rehabilitated, and released back into the population by the time he or she reaches 19 and we could all feel comfortable that the kid would go on to live a meaningful and productive adult life.

Unfortunately, that just isn't the case. I used to work as a juvenile corrections officer and have seen too many kids who were relatively good kids come through the system and by the time they've served their time, they're useless to the human race. They'll spend the rest of their lives in and out of jail until they're finally jailed for life for something serious such as homicide or rape.

I don't pretend to have the answer to the question posed in this thread, but I think the notion that children who commit serious crimes should be treated differently in terms of length of sentence because they can be rehabilitated is a fallacy.

mag shooter · 10-16-2005, 06:32 PM

Juveniles or adults, if you commit a crime and are found guilty, whatever the law provides as punishment, be it a year or 400 years, you should have to do every day of IT!! No plea bargin, no deals, just hard time!! Each person is responsible for their actions, good or bad.

Charlie P · 10-16-2005, 06:36 PM

Quote:

whatever the law provides as punishment, be it a year or 400 years, you should have to do every day of IT!!

You want people locked up even after they are dead?[8D]