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Essay / Sentencing Young Offenders to Adult Prison
Each year, the number of juveniles sentenced and placed in the adult prison system is staggeringly high. Personally, I don't think there is any benefit to this. It is claimed that young men and women sent to adult prisons not only lack education, but also face physical dangers on a daily basis. This in itself can lead to huge problems. An example of one of these problems would be committing a crime again once released. It very often happens that criminals, once released, return to the old habits that brought them to prison. Not only are they not taught the skills that would be useful to them outside, but most of the time, no one wants to take in these individuals due to their bad nature. This is why these individuals start hanging out with the same group of troubling friends again. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay There are a number of laws in the United States; which is supposed to give every minor the right to education. However, these laws are not respected. In 2005, a survey was conducted of adult prisons, and it was found that approximately 40% of these prisons did not offer any educational programs. This in itself is a scandal! Although many people who enter prison have no future coming out, wouldn't it be practical to introduce offenders at just a short time to skills that will be useful to them when they get out? After all, aren’t prisons overcrowded? The last thing we want is for the same people to come back again and again because they had no other path to take than the dark one. Introducing inmates to only some basic skills would be more beneficial than what is normally given. Some of these skills may include cooking, cleaning, and basic educational subjects like math, reading, and writing. Another good skill to learn would be how to pay bills and do taxes, or since these people are minors and probably don't know how to operate motor vehicles, maybe offer driver training programs! Any of these options would be far more ideal than just throwing them in a cell 23 hours a day. The process of placing juveniles in adult prisons is a long, rocky road. The first step toward conviction is bringing them to justice. While awaiting trial; however, the majority of these people will spend about a full month in adult prison. It is reported that only one in five convicts will have spent up to six full months in an adult prison before being tried. To me this is impractical because the individual has not yet been tried as an adult; therefore, they should not be placed in an adult prison. Due to the differences in physical stature, testosterone, and knowledge between adults and young adolescents, this can be a very dangerous path for these young men and women. One of the biggest problems they face is being beaten or sexually assaulted. According to a study by the “National Commission for the Elimination of Rape in Prisons”, minors are those who, among the entire prison population, run the greatest risk of being victims of violence and sexual assault. It is also stated in the "Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003" that within 48 hours of entering the system, the majority of young offenders will be sexual victims. We could..