Neither the
teenage offender nor society benefits when teenagers are sentenced
to serve time in adult prisons. A 1996 Florida study found that
juveniles tried in adult courts were three times more likely to
reoffend than those sent to the juvenile justice system. Of those
who committed new crimes, juveniles tried as adults reoffended at
twice the rate of those tried in juvenile courts, and a higher percentage
were rearrested for felony offenses. In addition to transforming
young, inexperienced offenders into professional criminals, adult
prisons expose teenagers to extremely dangerous conditions. Youth
in Florida prisons are five times more likely to be raped, twice
as likely to be beaten by staff, and 50% more likely to be attacked
with a weapon than those sent to juvenile facilities. Furthermore,
a Justice Department study showed that the suicide rate of youth
in adult jails is seven times higher than that of youth in juvenile
detention centers. Juveniles serving terms in adult facilities needlessly
suffer abuse. In addition, after being released, they end up committing
more crimes than those who are dealt with through the juvenile justice
system. Society should be kind toward young
offenders and try them not as adults, but as juveniles.
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