Prompt Should Juveniles Be Tried As Adults

PROMPT

Justice Elena Kagan, writing for the majority, stated that "Mandatory life without parole for a juvenile precludes consideration of his chronological age and its hallmark features-among them, immaturity, impetuosity, and failure to appriciate risks and consequences. It prevents taking into account the family and home enviornment that suurounds him-and from which he cannot usually extricate himself-no matter how brutal or dysfunctional."



However, four justices strongly disagreed, agruing that mandatory sentences reflected the will of American society that heinous crimes committed by juviniles should always be punished with a sentence to life in prison.



Justice Alito noted that otherwise, "Even a 17 year old who sets off a bomb in a crowded mall or guns down a dozen stude3nts and teachers is a 'child' and must be given a chnace to persuade a judge to permit his release into society..."



INSTRUCTIONS

Write an essay analyzing the issues raised by these arguements. Be sure to indacate which side you most strongly agree with. Support your position, providing reasons and examples from your own experiance and observatios, discussions you have participated in, and texts you have read for this module. Your essay should be clearly focused, well organized, and carefully written as you c an make it.