Should Children Who Committ Crimes Do Adult Time?

[laurent]

I resurected this old post because it was something that my collegues and I have been debating for a while. I work for a non-profit org that provides advocacy services for juvenile offenders, so our main goal is to have juvenile offenders released into the community with "services" in place to aid in their rehabilitation. I have been in this field for a while now suffice to say I dont believe in Prison as a means to rehabilitate kid or adults for that matter but thats a different subject. But then I came across this http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ne...,2160499.story and I have to say, I am at a loss. Does a story like this change your views on whether children should do adult time?

[dimples321]

Originally Posted by laurent

I resurected this old post because it was something that my collegues and I have been debating for a while. I work for a non-profit org that provides advocacy services for juvenile offenders, so our main goal is to have juvenile offenders released into the community with "services" in place to aid in their rehabilitation. I have been in this field for a while now suffice to say I dont believe in Prison as a means to rehabilitate kid or adults for that matter but thats a different subject. But then I came across this http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ne...,2160499.story and I have to say, I am at a loss. Does a story like this change your views on whether children should do adult time?

It is hard for me to say. I fear that putting the child in jail will only create a criminal for the society to deal with later. But the truth is putting them in the system will do this as well. The question we all need to ask, is there a better way? Helping our kids before they reach this point is the key to never having discussions like this. I wonder if something could have been done before it happened?

[deepimpact2]

I go back and forth on this issue. Still, I lean more towards making them do adult time. I think when they are allowed to get around doing adult time, that injustice takes place. In particular I'm thinking about the Eve Carson case right now. From what I understand, the young man who actually killed her will get a less harsh penalty because he's not technically an adult. However, his accomplice will be getting an adult penalty. In situations like this, there is clearly a grave injustice taking place.