LA Essay by Andrew Zeff

Claim: Juvenile Delinquents are Capable of Becoming Productive Adults

azeff022 — 2018-03-20 17:15:07 UTC

Paragraph 1:

azeff022 — 2018-03-20 17:18:38 UTC

Topic Sentence:
How can prisons full of juvenile delinquents prepare them for their lives after prison?

SOME MAY ARGUE, Every child should have an education, so that shouldn't exclude juvenile delinquents because they are in jail. These delinquents are pretty much in a torture chamber if they aren't being taught anything so that once they get out of jail, they could live better lives.

Introduction

azeff022 — 2018-03-21 23:44:36 UTC

A juvenile is a young person whose brain is not fully developed, so a mistake that was made as a child should not determine the rest of their life. Many former delinquents live normal lives as adults, but to some people, they are just not the same as everyone else. Everybody has the opportunity to change, and that is what most delinquents end up doing. Saying that juvenile delinquents are incapable of becoming productive adults is flat out wrong. While many people would think that since a former delinquent's track record shows what they did to get arrested could affect them getting jobs, if the person is changed, they find a way to support them self and others. I think that Juvenile Delinquents are Capable of Becoming Productive Adults.

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azeff022 — 2018-03-22 15:48:44 UTC

Topic Sentence:
Does the Severity of the crime committed by a delinquent affect how they could change in the future?

WHILE OTHERS MAY THINK DIFFERENTLY, no, the severity of the crime should not affect how juvenile's could change. Juvenile's should all be given second chances at life. There should not be life sentences for juvenile delinquents because they still have potential to change. While if these delinquents were over the age of 18 and were testified as adults for the same crime, many of them would get more severe punishments, but how could a kid be put in a cell for the rest of their life which could be up to 80 years in prison. These kids deserve better and should have a chance to be productive and mature adults. To follow up on that, juvenile delinquents should not be given more than 20 years in prison unless they have committed such a heinous crime that would deserve life in prison. An example of one of those heinous crimes would be a terrorist attack or a mass shooting/murder.

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azeff022 — 2018-03-22 15:49:20 UTC

Topic Sentence:
What is life like after prison forjuvenile delinquents?

Life after prison for delinquents could defer based on how motivated these kids are to change. Julie Kisaka is a perfect example of this. Kisaka was arrested at 15 for stealing her parents car and crashing it. Her motivation to get out was the fact that she had to spend her 15th birthday in her jail cell. In the article "Life After Juvenile Detention" by Elly Yu (2014) Yu stated "She decided she never wanted to spend another birthday in detention"(p5). This is important because Kisaka knew that she can't stay in prison and that she had to become a better person. She is now a lawyer for juvenile delinquents and is sharing her motivational story. However, not everyone is like Julie Kisaka. There are many people that are in and out of jail because they can't find motivation to stay out or are friends with the wrong people, but anyone can be motivated to never go back and live perfectly normal lives.

Conclusion

azeff022 — 2018-03-22 15:49:31 UTC

TO CONCLUDE, all delinquents should be given second chances and most certainly are capable of becoming productive adults. Whether a juvenile did something minor or major, they should all have a chance to be productive adults just like Julie Kisaka. There is no rule stating that juvenile delinquents are not allowed to live normal lives, so people have to start respecting that. If you or someone you knew was put in the same scenario as the juvenile delinquents, you would know that everyone has a chance to become a better person and a productive adult.

Bibliography

azeff022 — 2018-03-23 17:26:30 UTC

Totenberg, Nina. “Do Juvenile Killers Deserve Life Behind Bars?” CommonLit, 2012, www.commonlit.org/texts/do-juvenile-killers-deserve-life-behind-bars.

Yu, Elly. “Life after Juvenile Detention.” Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, 29 Oct. 2014, jjie.org/2014/05/23/life-after-juvenile-detention/.

Martin, Michele. “Teaching Shakespeare in a Maximum Security Prison.” CommonLit, 2013, www.commonlit.org/texts/teaching-shakespeare-in-a-maximum-security-prison.