Villa, Judi. "Adult Prisons Harden Teens." Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ). Nov. 14 2004: A1+. SIRS Researcher. Web. 22 Sep 2010.
- Statistics show that one in four juvenile criminals, who are sent to an adult prison, will commit a violent crime once they are released. (1)
- "They grow up in cages in a culture of violence and racial segregation and can be isolated in lockdown 23 hours a day for months at a time. Anti-social behaviors become their norm." (1)
- Many states, such as Arizona, have passed legislation making it easier for the justice system to punish juvenile criminals through adult prisons. (2)
- This law, referred to as Proposition 102, has sent more than 1300 juvenile criminals to prison. (3)
- Programs to help juveniles in prison are scarce and underfunded, as juveniles make up only 0.5 percent of the total prison population. (4)
- In Arizona, juveniles in prison take part in programs that teach skills such as carpentry, electrical, plumbing ,and sanitation. (5)
- Scientific studies show that the teenage brain in less-developed then initially believed. This leads many to believe that state governments should reconsider what they deem a "juvenile" and an "adult." (7)
- "Brain researchers, using MRI technology, have found the frontal lobe of the brain, which controls planning, impulsiveness and the ability to anticipate consequences and react accordingly, doesn't fully develop until the early 20s. That means kids may be less capable than adults of appreciating consequences and weighing options, and may rely more on the emotional parts of the brain when making decisions. " (7)
- It can then be implied that 15, 16, and 17 year olds should not be held fully for their actions, as their still developing brain doesn’t allow them to think their decisions and actions through completely. (7)
- Kids are not able to serve on a jury, drive, or buy alcohol until they reach the legal age of adulthood; however, in the criminal justice system, they are being tried as adults in a court of law. Why doesn’t this distinction between children and adults apply universally throughout the legal system?
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