In our nation the justice system tries anyone under the age of eighteen as a minor. This means the minor who commits the crime will be released from prison whenever they become eighteen years of age. In this case, a minor would do a fraction of the time an adult would do for most crimes. They will also be sent to a juvenile detention center instead of prison. He or she will then continue their schooling over the course of their sentence. In the United States, the government should try minors thirteen to seventeen as adults for crimes.

  First of all, when a juvenile enters middle school they have at least six years of schooling under their belt. During these six years teachers inform students of what is right and wrong. For example, whenever a student is being picked on at school, teachers tell us that you come and tell an adult and not to retaliate physically. Our parents however, usually teach us these morals our entire lives. We are taught not to steal or harm others. If you were to commit such an act you were probably put in "timeout" as a consequence. Nevertheless, if you’re an adult you are sent to a detention center or prison to serve your sentence. If you know what you're doing is wrong, and you decide to do it anyway, should you not be punished?

  Furthermore, having sentenced teens as adults could potentially save the lives of some citizens. If a teen is on trial for murder and they are sentenced to only a few years in prison, what might they do when they get out? What is to stop them from killing someone else? The same teen might go and kill another innocent civilian once they get out of prison or are finished with their parole. If he or she is in prison for twenty-five years to life, this could stop them from killing someone else for that period of time. If you had the chance to save lives, would you give the guilty verdict to a teenager. This only adds to why teens should be tried as adults.

  Most teens have heard teens say, "Why don't you ever treat me like an adult?". I agree with this statement. If a teen commits a crime they should be treated the same way as an adult. When someone is charged with murder in the first degree, the quintessential sentence is twenty-five years to life in prison. Age should not be a blockade in the road that is the justice system. A life taken, so why should it have no effect on theirs.

  In addition, some may believe teens being in prison could have a negative effect on their wellbeing. This is because of both physical and mental abuse from older inmates. This could be solved by reserving section of prisons for adolescent inmates. New Prisons could even be built specifically for adolescent inmates, much like a juvenile detention center. These are two simple solutions.

  When an adolescent commits a crime in the United States they should be charged and sentenced as an adult. They have taught what is right and wrong over several years, most teens say they want to be treated as an adult, and charging and sentencing teens as adults could save the lives of other citizens. If you could save the lives of others what would you do?