Juveniles Tried as Adults
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When juvenile crime rates soared in the mid-1900s, nearly every state began prosecuting and incarcerating minors as adults. But the rise in crime quickly turned into a steady decline, and by 1997 the juvenile homicide rate had dropped to its lowest level in 25 years.
But occasional schoolyard shootings and other high profile incidents of youth violence have kept nation's focus on juvenile crime. As a result, more states still have tough juvenile justice laws, and many states continue to treat juvenile offenders as incorrigible adults, including many charged with non-violent offenses. Prosecutors say strict laws are still necessary to protect the public, but critics say such policies cause grave harm to the nation's youthand to society at large.
Juvenile offenders are now facing a double-edged sword. Not only can they be tried in a Juvenile court for a crime committed. They are now being charged as adults. Charging a juvenile as adult has stirred up many different views. When should we say enough is enough?..