Too Young to Die

Too Young to Die

I. Are juveniles too young to for the death penalty, even if their crimes were considered as adult crimes? Should there be an age limit on whether someone knows right or wrong? These are the questions that plague many people throughout America are asking themselves as more and more youths commit violent crimes.

a. Age is irrelevant when deciding whether or not a juvenile should be put to death for heinous crimes.

b. The age which each individual develops the mental capacity to commit murder varies. Susan Jindrich, Associate Professor and Program Chair, Early Childhood Education, IVY Tech Community College stated, "Always remember that some children progress faster than others and that the time spent in stages does not reflect their intelligence..." (Jindrich, 2010)

II. What is the definition of a juvenile? Webster-Merriam defines juvenile as a young individual resembling an adult of its kind except in size and reproductive activity.

a. Society recognizes that children, those under 18 years old, cannot and do not function as adults. What determines adulthood?

b. Studies by the Harvard Medical School, the National Institute of Mental Health and the UCLA's Department of Neuroscience finds that the frontal and pre-frontal lobes of the brain, which regulate impulse control and judgment, are not fully developed in adolescents.

c. Development is not completed until somewhere between 18 and 22 years of age (Ortiz, 2003). These findings confirm that adolescents generally have a greater tendency towards impulsivity, making unsound judgments or reasoning, and are less aware of the consequences of their actions

III. The question of should we sentence juveniles to the death penalty cannot be a black and white answer. Each juvenile needs to have a psychological evaluation to determine their development. Each violent crime that has been committed hasn't been committed in the same fashion or under the same circumstances. That reason alone we need to be cautious when sentencing a child to the death penalty.

Reference

Assoication, A. B. (2002). Juvenile Death Penalty: Toronto Patterson. Chicago: ABA.

Center, J. J. (2004). Facts and Figures. Waashington D.C.: American Bar Assoication.

Jindrich, S. (2010, June 8). Meddybemps. Retrieved May 10, 2012, from Chateau Meddybemps Inc: http://www.meddybemps.com/index.html

Ortiz, A. C. (2003). Juvenile Death Penalty: Is it "cruel and unusual" in light of contemporary standards? Criminal Justice Magazine , 17 (4), 10-12.