Mika Vigil

Mr. Cook
ELA
14 October 2014

Punishment for Minors who have Committed Crimes
Minors who have committed crimes that would be considered illegal for adults,
must be mentally evaluated instead of being punished like an adult. A person is
considered an adult when they are 18 years old. Is this because the brain is matured?
No. The human brain is fully matured and developed at the age of 25. Even at that age,
the brain still makes mistakes. So why should a person, who doesnt have the mental
capacity and intelligence level as a person who is over 25, be punished in the same way
as an adult would? Adolescence is the time in a humans life where the most learning
happens. If a person doesnt make mistakes, how will they learn the most essential
knowledge they will attain in the entirety of their lives?
If a person commits a crime that would be considered illegal, the blame should
not be based on the age of the person, but the way their parents or guardians taught
them the things they know, or do not know. For example, He had been abandoned by
his father as a baby, neglected by his mother, and spent time in a homeless shelter.
The other was his mentor who had essentially adopted him and taught him how to
shoot high-powered rifles at people. The boy who was only 17, close to the considered
adult age of 18, was taught and attained knowledge from a person who considered
himself as the boys guardian. If the boy had actually been adopted by a nice family, he
wouldnt have the knowledge he has currently. This goes to show that the actions of a
juvenile are directly impacted by the way they grew up and gained knowlege.
Making mistakes is one huge component to being human. If humans didnt make
mistakes, we would not learn. Humans have knowledge about everything we have ever
experienced, whether it is good or bad. Colombia is considering allowing 14-year olds
to be tried as adults if they are accused of murder, rape, or aggravated bodily injury.
There are very few accounts in which 14 year olds will attempt to do these actions.
Once again, their mindsets are not developed, and their brains contain knowledge they
were taught at a young age. If a 14 year old did commit these crimes, they should be
mentally assessed, so that they will not attempt to do the crimes again because they
have received treatment for their mental illness, if they have one.
Clearly, people under the age of 18 should not be punished the same way adults
are for crimes. Their brains are not yet fully developed, so they must make mistakes in
order to learn and grow from them. Even if the mistakes they make are brutal and
violent crimes. The knowledge they gained over the years, comes directly from their
guardians and the people they surround themselves with. Adolescents do not contain
the brain capacity to commit crimes like adults do, so why should they be punished in
the same way?