Our children should not be treated like hardened criminals

Against tough punishment by James Clark

No one is denying the fact that it’s disturbing to see children commit very adult-like crimes. When two kids, ages 10 and 13, are charged with trying to burn down a house, there is cause for concern.

But throwing the book at the teenagers of this community is not the answer to our problems. Sending a 13-year-old to jail for eight years, for example, will not better our society one bit. Instead, it will only rob our teens of their childhood and likely turn what could have been a productive person into a career criminal.

When it comes to juveniles, we can never forget our sense of compassion. It might be difficult to find that compassion when teens terrorize a couple by breaking every window in their home, but we must continue to find a way.

There’s a long-standing reason we have two separate court systems for juveniles and adults. It’s because, simply put, juveniles are not adults and they don’t deserve to be treated as such.

The primary function of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate its offenders – not to punish. Rehabilitation is the crucial term because we’re talking about children with their whole lives ahead of them.

We can’t overreact to what could be nothing more than a regrettable childhood mistake. There’s no reason a juvenile troublemaker can’t become a law-abiding adult.

It’s natural to want to assert discipline and teach children right from wrong. That’s one thing which must happen in the process of maturing and becoming a responsible citizen.

But at the same time, who among us hasn’t committed a mistake – especially a childhood mistake. Sending kids to jail isn’t going to fix anything. It will only serve to shatter more American families and we don’t seem to need any help in that department as it is. Juvenile offenders need to understand the severity of their actions. They also deserve some compassion.