KIDS AND CRIME

January 2000
		Should juveniles who commit serious crimes be treated as adults? Cabrini College criminal justice professor Linda Collier and Northeastern University criminal justice professor James Fox respond to your questions.

Forum introduction Should parents be liable for their children's behavior? Can children in detention be rehabilitated by the age of 21? Should children be given special rehabilitation? Does putting kids in adult prison essentially mean throwing them away? If kids can commit adult crimes, shouldn't they get adult punishment?   Jan. 14, 2000: The youngest person ever convicted of murder receives his sentence. Dec. 16, 1999: A new study examines violence in America. Browse Online NewsHour coverage of youth, the law and education.

Sharon Palmer of Rialto, CA asks: I don't have any answers but it breaks my heart to see kids of today with so much violence. Don’t you think that putting kids in adult prison is just throwing them away so we won't have to deal with them? Someday, I think we will have to deal with them -- as adults.   Linda Collier responds: Based on information compiled by The Office of Juvenile Justice Programs in October of 1997, it was determined that there were 125,805 young persons assigned to 1,121 public and 2,310 private residential facilities. These numbers encompass both secured and non secured facilities. Nearly 1/4 of the juveniles were in facilities because of their involvement in crimes such as aggravated assault, kidnapping, robbery, arson, and burglary. Two percent had been charged or adjudicated with homicide or murder. Nathaniel Abraham is now resident among this crowd. Some sociologists feel that young people learn more from their peers than adults. If that is true, I would say given the above facts, Abraham's ability to be "specially" rehabilitated in this environment will be greatly challenged. We'll certainly have the opportunity to find out how good Michigan's youth detention centers are in another 8 years when Nate is 21 and released, free and clear. (Editor's note: Prof. Collier provided a single answer for this and the previous question.)   James Fox responds: I agree. Most juvenile offenders do not belong in the adult system, even most juvenile murderers. Kids may look like adults, act like adults, even shoot like adults, but they think like children. In a few selected cases, however, an adult penalty is justified. For a repeat, chronic, violent juvenile offender, we at some point must throw up our hands after his repeated failures and transfer him to the criminal (adult) court. This should be done sparingly and not on a wholesale basis like many states (including Michigan) are moving to do.