Link Between Drug Use And Juvenile Crime example essay topic

Since the beginning of time justice officials have been faced with a difficult decision should juvenile offenders be given smaller sentences because of their age. Today officials still are having trouble with this situation. Some experts believe some offender should be tried as adults, others believe no juvenile offenders should be tried as adults and some even think all should be tried as adults. My opinion Juvenile criminals the way all offenders should be tried.

According to Mr. Steve Smith 40% of inmates in prison are juveniles and he also says 150,000 prisoners are repeat offenders who started as juveniles. This means over 50,000 prisoners are juveniles and the others are adults who in the age of 18-26 says and has risen 40% very the last few years, and according to the book Juvenile Justice in 1996 2,171 murder cases were charged to minors. Juvenile offenders are not only a threat to a town doing "small crimes" or misdemeanors but are committing more serious crimes as time goes by and yet still no efforts has been made to keep criminals where they belong. In the Kent vs. United States Trial a young offender 16 years of age was charged with rape and because juveniles do not get the same rights as adults Kent's attorney was not allowed to review any files that where obtained making it unconstitutional thus overturning the sentence given to him. My question is if people do not want for juveniles to be tried as adults why give them adult rights? If they wan to be tried as not adults why do they need right if they only committed a minor crime?

As Mr Steve Smith said "Majority of criminals in prison are repeat offenders who started as juveniles and most of them did not get tried as adults" this can only tell me if they would of received adult sentences maybe they would of had a chance to correct their mistake and not become and statistic of just another repeat offenders. According to the Census Bureau: There will be 1.8 million more males 14 to 24 years old, the most crime-prone group, in the year 2005 and 1.2 million more in 2010 im Missouri these action were taken in the legislature Removed the minimum age currently 14 for trying as adults kids who commit the most serious crimes like murder, rape and armed robbery. Lowered to age 12 the minimum age for trying a child accused of other, less serious felony crimes. Allowed a child of any age to face trial as an adult if the child already have been convicted of two or more felonies. Allowed a juvenile judge to determine the minimum length of time a juvenile offender must spend in a juvenile facility. Currently, the state's Youth Services Division decides when to release a juvenile based on the child's progress in changing behavior.

Provided public access to many juvenile records in criminal cases. Under current law, juvenile records are totally closed to public access. Not to mention most of the 50 states have harshened their policies on juvenile crime. Juvenile criminals also targets drugs. According to the Breaking the Juvenile-Drug cycle: For more than two decades, researchers, clinicians, and juvenile justice program administrators have known of the link between drug use (including alcohol) and juvenile crime. In many communities, the majority of juveniles currently entering the justice system are drug users.

Other research indicates that juvenile drug use is related to recurring, chronic, and violent delinquency that continues well into adulthood. Juvenile drug use is also strongly related to poor health, deteriorating family relationships, worsening school performance, and other social and psychological problems. The drug-crime link does not mean that drug use necessarily leads to criminal activity (or vice versa). However, research indicates that a relatively small group of serious and violent juvenile offenders who are also serious drug users accounts for a disproportionate amount (more than half, according to one national study) of all serious crimes committed by delinquents. This means not only are juvenile criminals committing misdemeanors but are also using and selling drugs! According to the state of florida "Dramatic increases I youth charges with drug crimes occurs with drug crimes occurred during the 1990's.

There was a 229 percent over the last decade in juvenile offenders referred for drug use. In recent years there has been almost 10% increase per year for all types of drug offenses". According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Fact Sheet, 2000 "Illicit drug users were about 16 times more likely to report being arrested and booked fro larceny or theft; and 9 times more likely to be arrested and booked on and assault charge" so not only do these offenders commit more crimes but are also getting more juveniles in trouble and when they do get caught they get sent to juvenile prison ro an establishment where where they come back they will continue to do the same.