# data[].attributes.headline
How should juveniles who commit serious crimes be treated in the criminal justice system? When, if ever, should they be punished as adults if they have committed “adult” crimes? 

# data[].attributes.subject
How should juveniles who commit serious crimes be treated in the criminal justice system? When, if ever, should they be punished as adults if they have committed “adult” crimes? 

# data[].attributes.body
Juveniles who commit serious crimes should see to it that their mental wellbeing is a priority. It is of common knowledge that children are easily influenced, as can be seen in The Slenderman Murder case, and processing may give insight into the juveniles motive. A majority of juveniles are raised in households that could be a result of mental ill-being. These juveniles who have their mental wellness being prioritized will also be given a jury composed of individuals who understand the children psyche. There is no need for sympathy, but a juvenile who has hardly any concept of how a trial works should be treated as such. To charge a juvenile as an adult a juvenile needs an evaluation that comes up as clear, have a history of other crimes, and have a tendency to commit the crime again. Following this the juvenile will proceed to have an average jury and be processed accordingly.

# data[].attributes.headline
What evidence is there  (OR what are your thoughts) that juveniles can mature and return to productive life after committing a serious crime?

# data[].attributes.subject
What evidence is there  (OR what are your thoughts) that juveniles can mature and return to productive life after committing a serious crime?

# data[].attributes.body
A prime example I can find on juveniles having the capacity to mature includes the Beware The Slenderman movie where they called Anissa from home. During the beginning of the movie they described her as shy and had trouble making friends. At this point in the movie we see Anissa having made friends and sounding have matured from the person she was when she committed the crime. Another prime example would be the poem written by Cameron Ralston “Out of Juvenile Corrections, Poems of Fury, Loss—and Lingering Beauty,” Which illustrates how he no longer exhibits the need to wreak havoc, but to escape and be free. Keeping them behind bars will only build that rage for when they get out, which is a step up from committing violent acts just because they can. Alongside this, there is evidence in the article, "A 14-year-old Fort Worth girl was sentenced to 25 years for killing her best friend" that the assaulter felt deep shame and will forever be haunted by what she had done. To follow up with this, Holloway states in the article "Should 11-Year-Olds Be Charged With Adult Crimes?" that juveniles incarcerated with adults are more likely to be raped, abused, harassed, and suicidal. If the 14-year-old-girl who feels heavy remorse in her actions and is sentenced to adult jail which leads to an array of following issues such as suicidal tendencies, the sentence would be no better than the crime committed.

# data[].attributes.headline
To what extent should the desires of victims and the families of victims be taken into consideration in charging and sentencing juveniles who have committed crimes against them?

# data[].attributes.subject
To what extent should the desires of victims and the families of victims be taken into consideration in charging and sentencing juveniles who have committed crimes against them?

# data[].attributes.body
The extent of which the victims/families of victims are involved should not violate the 8th amendment which states in layman's terms that the punishment for crimes are not excessive, cruel, unusual. The victim/family should be involved as is normal during the trial and testimonies will be counted and weighed in response to the juvenile's punishment. Rather than the victim/family having a voice of their own and getting to choose exactly what happens to the juvenile. In the article "Should 11-Year-Olds Be Charged With Adult Crimes?" Holloway made a solid point stating that the system of justice has lost its way and it turning more into a system of revenge and punishment rather than living up to its name.

# data[].attributes.headline
Are juveniles of color equitably treated in the juvenile justice system, in other words, in the same way as white juveniles who commit the same crime? (Your thoughts on this...we didn’t get into it but we should consider it.  For example, think about Lionel Tate and Anissa - would Anissa have been treated the same way if she were a black boy?)  

# data[].attributes.subject
Are juveniles of color equitably treated in the juvenile justice system, in other words, in the same way as white juveniles who commit the same crime? (Your thoughts on this...we didn’t get into it but we should consider it.  For example, think about Lionel Tate and Anissa - would Anissa have been treated the same way if she were a black boy?)  

# data[].attributes.body
Juveniles of color are absolutely not treated in the same way. We can see this in the article "Wrestling Defense’ Murder Trial of 12-Year-Old Lionel Tate." where Lionel Tate was sentenced to life imprisonment for an accidental murder heavily influenced by television. Anissa, on the other hand, was sentenced to 25 years for the lack of parental supervision and premeditated and attempted murder. In my article "A 14-year-old Fort Worth girl was sentenced to 25 years for killing her best friend", the juvenile is a person of color and sentenced to twenty five years of a crime in which she had no concept of her actions and was barely given room to speak. Her jury also consisted of predominately white people, who sentenced her rather quickly for a complex case as her own. They did not give her the time of day, which shows that juveniles of color are not treated the same way as white juveniles who commit the same crime.

# data[].attributes.body
Brodsky, Irene Taylor. Beware the Slender Man. HBO, 2017. Films on Demand, https://youtu.be/6p1eVLEbOIw

Holloway, Phillip. “Should 11-Year Olds Be Charged with Adult Crimes?” CNN, Updated 14 Oct. 2015, www.cnn.com/2015/10/14/opinions/holloway-charging-juveniles-as-adults/index.html

Padowitz, Kenneth. “‘Wrestling Defense’ Murder Trial of 12-Year-Old Lionel Tate.” YouTube, uploaded by Kenneth Padowitz, 2 Sept. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VZRmKdAa8I

Ralston, Cameron Delane. “Furious.” “Out of Juvenile Corrections, Poems of Fury, Loss—and Lingering Beauty,” reported by Colin Dwyer, All Things Considered, National Public Radio, 28 May 2016, www.npr.org/2016/05/28/479722459/out-of-juvenile-corrections-poems-of-fury-loss-and-lingering-beauty

Mitchell, Mitch. "A 14-year-old Fort Worth girl was sentenced to 25 years for killing her best friend" Fort Worth Star-Telegram, posted 15 Feb. 2019, https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article226322745.html