Should Juveniles Be Tried as Adults

The current judiciary system faces a controversy while treading juveniles committing serious crimes. On the one hand, youth falling under the category from 12-17 should not be tried in the adult court system because of their emotional immaturity and inability to control their impulses.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Should Juveniles Be Tried as Adults? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, individuals committing as severe crimes as adults do should undergo severe punishment. Such a perspective raises a number of questions concerning the reasonableness of the current juvenile systems, as well as measures that should be taken while treating difficult teenagers. In this respect, there should not be a clear distinctions between juveniles arrested for crimes of various degrees of severity. Nevertheless, teenagers cannot be tried as adults because of their psychological immaturity, distinct competence, a nd greater potential for psychological change. Certainly, there are some obvious cases of juvenile cruelty that do not permit community to consider the case because of teenager’s emotional instability and family problems. Murder cannot be justified by all means. However, society must not â€Å"†¦give up hope of rehabilitating a child who commits a crime† (Clouse 599). Teenagers are not stable enough in terms of their emotional perception of the surrounding events. Due to the lack of a healthy family environment, as well as other cases of social pressure, they often resort to measures that rigidly contradict the norms accepted in a civilized society. Therefore, if there is a chance to save a child from custody, the social institutions should take advantage of it. In addition to the above-presented deliberations, there is a plethora of studies supporting juvenile rehabilitation rather than adult imprisonment. Specifically, the researchers agree that giving an opport unity for a teenager to go through a juvenile system with rehabilitation, education, counseling, and mentoring increases the possibility for an individual to become a normal member of society. In contrast, a child serving in an adult jail is unlikely to adjust to a society (Steinberg 603). Indeed, there should be experienced counselors and psychologists that can train problematic youth to control their unstable and immature emotions and understand the consequences of their actions. Finally, earlier identification of teenagers’ psychological problems can reduce the number of crimes in future since many adult criminals resort to outlaw actions since their young years.Advertising Looking for essay on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Certainly, it is impossible to sentence all adolescents to equal punishment due to the different degrees of crimes they commit. Moreover, most of juveniles should be transferred to adult prisons for the safety of teenagers whose crimes are less severe (Collier 610). Such a decision can contribute to safety measures in such institutions. Most of the problematic children face misconception on the part of adults and, therefore, the task of a counselor is to notice such children before they pose threat to society. Reconsidering the overall situation with juvenile delinquency is crucial to create new circumstances under which these criminals will be treated. Despite the fact that teenagers are capable of committing serious crimes as adults, the government should still reevaluate their outlook on juvenile system. Certainly, some teenagers deserve to be tried as adults regarding their severe crimes. Nevertheless, their emotionally unstable characteristics provide greater chances for them to revamp their social perception and restore the accepted moral and social values. Therefore, youth committing serious crimes should be taken under the control of counselors whose primary goal is to identify such teenagers before they infringe the law. Works Cited Clouse, Barbara Fine. â€Å"Little Adult Criminals† Patterns for a Purpose: A Rhetorical Reader. Ed. Barbara Fine Clouse US: McGraw-Hill Humanities, 2010. 599-601. Print. Collier, Linda J. â€Å"Adult Crime, Adult Time† Patterns for a Purpose: A Rhetorical Reader. Ed. Barbara Fine Clouse US: McGraw-Hill Humanities, 2010. 608-611. Print. Steinberg, Laurence. â€Å"Should Juvenile Offenders Be Tried As Adults†. Patterns for a Purpose: A Rhetorical Reader. Ed. Barbara Fine Clouse US: McGraw-Hill Humanities, 2010. 602-606. Print.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Should Juveniles Be Tried as Adults? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on Should Juveniles Be Tried as Adults? was written and submitted by user Caiden Buchanan to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

My Favorite Stephen Sondheim Musicals

My Favorite Stephen Sondheim Musicals Born March 22nd, 1930, Stephen Sondheim seemed destined to become one of America’s most beloved figures in American theater. When he was only ten years old, he moved with his mother to the Pennsylvanian countryside. There, he became neighbors and friends with the family of Oscar Hammerstein II. In his teens, Sondheim began writing musicals. When he showed Hammerstein his work, the famed lyricist explained that it was awful – but he also told him why it was awful. An amazing mentorship began. Hammerstein provided him one-on-one instruction and advice and gave Sondheim difficult yet creative challenges which honed the young artist’s songwriting skills. In 1956, Sondheim was chosen to write the lyrics for Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. Soon after, he created the lyrics for the amazingly successful Gypsy. By the early 1960s, Stephen Sondheim was ready for his compositions to premiere on Broadway. Today, he is beloved among sophisticated audiences and performers alike. Here is a list of my favorite musicals by Stephen Sondheim: #1) Into the Woods I had the pleasure of watching the original Broadway production when I was 16 years old. At the time, I absolutely loved the first act, which plays like a wonderfully crafted and complex fairy tale comedy, ideal for the entire family. During the second half, however, I was quite disturbed by all the chaos and death. The story became too much like real life. And, of course, that’s the point of the show, a transition from fantasy to reality, or from adolescence to adulthood. Gradually, after listening to the soundtrack, and growing a bit older myself, I have come to love and appreciate both acts of this fun and fascinating musical. #2) Sweeney Todd It’s difficult to find a more violent musical than Sweeney Todd. And it’s difficult to find a more haunting melody than Sondheim’s â€Å"Johanna Reprise,† a hypnotic song that mixes beauty, longing, and murder. This is the story of a demented barber who seeks revenge, but goes way too far, driven mad in his lust for bloodshed. (It’s one thing to reap vengeance; it’s another thing to stuff people into meat pies.) Despite the carnage and cannibalism, there is a dark, infectious humor throughout Sweeney Todd, elevating this dreary story to genius. #3) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum If you’re looking for a show that has a simple, laugh-out-loud happy ending, then Stephen Sondheim’s first success as composer/lyricist is the musical for you. During the show’s test run in Washington, D.C., Forum received negative reviews and apathetic reactions from the audience. Fortunately, director and self-proclaimed â€Å"play doctor† George Abbott suggested that they scrap the opening song, â€Å"Love Is in the Air.† Sondheim agreed and created the bouncy, hilarious number, â€Å"Comedy Tonight.† The new opening number energized Broadway audiences, eliciting laughter (and long lines at the box office). #4) Sunday in the Park with George Filled with beautiful songs and exquisite sets, Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George was inspired by the artwork of Georges Seurat, in particular his painting â€Å"A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.† I love stories that examine the lives of artistic geniuses – even if their history is fictionalized a great deal, as is the case with Sunday in the Park with George. The first act focuses on Seurat’s passions: his art and his mistress. The second act transitions to the 1980s, showing the struggles of a modern artist, George (the fictional grandson of Seaurat). Whenever I’m working on a creative project that takes a lot of concentration, I inevitably start to sing â€Å"Putting It Together,† one of my favorite Sondheim tunes, and an insightful commentary on the artistic process. #5) Company For me, this is the most â€Å"Sondheimish† of Stephen Sondheim’s musicals. The lyrics are funny, complicated, and emotional. Each song is like a cathartic experience for the characters. The basic premise: It’s Robert’s 35th birthday. He is still unmarried, and tonight all of his married friends will be throwing him a party. In the process, Robert analyzes his life and the relationships of his friends. It ran for 705 performances on Broadway, and earned six Tony Awards. So, why do I have it as my 5th favorite Sondheim musical? Perhaps it’s simply a personal thing. When I was a kid, listening to show-tunes such West Side Story and Sound of Music, I was vaguely familiar with Company. I liked the songs, but I could not connect with the characters. I assumed that when I became an adult that things would change, that I would eventually like to drink coffee, discuss real estate, and behave like the characters in Company. None of those things happened. Despite my own short comings, I still enjoy the songs and the non-linear storytelling style of Company. What’s Missing? Of course, there are many other great Sondheim works that didn’t make my personal list. Musicals such as Follies and Assassins never struck a chord with me. Tony Award winning Passion almost made my list, but because I’ve watched the video and not a live production, perhaps I wasn’t as entranced by the show as others have been. And what about Merrily We Roll Along? Although it flopped on Broadway, some would argue that it features Sondheim’s most heartfelt songs.