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Essays on Juvenile Sentencing

Juvenile crime is a persistent problem. In fact, some of the juvenile crimes committed today are heinous enough that some people advocate stricter punishment of juvenile offenders and trying them as adults.  Essays on juvenile sentencing discuss the laws governing juvenile sentencing, how juvenile offenders were punished in the past and are punished today, and the trend toward stricter punishment.

Essays on juvenile sentencing have discussion points in common with persuasive essays on the juvenile death penalty, essays on juvenile delinquency and essays on school violence as all of these essays pertain to social problems associated with the youth of today.  A review of these essays as well as a look at other juvenile sentencing essays can help you write a more informative, educational, and quality essay. Also, by visiting the Essay411 site, which can help you locate sources on just about any topic, you can further research your topic and better substantiate your essay.

A good way to begin essays on juvenile sentencing is by providing a little history about juvenile sentencing and looking at how it has evolved over time. Prior to the 19th century, juvenile offenders were tried and punished as adults, but societal understanding and attitudes regarding juvenile offenders slowly began to change and by the 19^th century, juvenile offenders were given special treatment so that they weren't subjected to the same punishment as adults for the crimes they committed.  Instead policies of rehabilitation and disciplinary action were applied to juvenile offenders. Essays on juvenile sentencing should then discuss how the pendulum seems to have swung back in regards to juvenile punishment with calls for stricture punishment and, in extreme cases, a juvenile death penalty. A look at the policies of other countries regarding juvenile sentencing is another interesting avenue of exploration that should be examined in essays on juvenile sentencing.   In France, for example, juvenile criminals aged 16 and above are treated as adults. Another example is Iran, which had lead the world in executing juvenile offenders until very recently when a law was passed  prohibiting the execution of juveniles.  In the US, there are specific guidelines that make it possible to try a juvenile as an adult.  These guidelines should be outline in essays on juvenile sentencing as well:  1) voluntary transfer where juvenile offenders voluntary transfer their case to the adult courts; 2) mandatory transfer where juvenile offenders are required to transfer their cases to adult courts; 3) removal of juvenile jurisdiction; and 4) providing prosecutors with the option to file charges directly in adult courts and lower the age for adult court jurisdiction. A comparison of the juvenile and adult court systems should also be included in essays on juvenile sentencing. A brief overview of the arguments for and against stricter juvenile sentencing should be included in essays on juvenile sentencing as well.