Questions

Children have long been acquitted for their actions due to their age. Regardless of the age of
the offender, the result of the crime remains as devastating and monumental as ever. Minors ,
or adolescents under 18 years old, should be held equally responsible for their actions , and
sentenced as adults in the court of law.


Chips Questions-
1. Intro- A violent crime can happen anywhere to anybody at any time. Do these criminals
always get caught, no, but when they do they should and are brought to justice.
Data- According to abc news 10% of all homicides are committed by those under the age of
18 and many of these kids are tried as what they are.. kids.
Attack- But if a violent crime can be carried out by any age at any time in any place then why
should age factor into the consequences of a personal decision that for any other person would
result in their life also being ruined like the person they assaulted.
Come-back: Youths who commit the crimea are not mature enough to understand the
full reach of their actions and what they should have dont instead of the crime.
Our Come-back: Even if they dont understand the full meaning of their action
that does not take away from the fact that they did in fact commit the crime and that in any other
circumstance that argument would be thrown out and the person in jail for a long time.

2. Intro- Rehabilitation is a major argument, advertising that we change these kids, help them
under stand that what they did was wrong and that we change them and make them a different
person.
Data- Out of 1,390,572 inmates currently in the U.S. justice system 50 % admitted to
having been involved in rehabilitation programs before or during previous sentences. This is
further proof that rehabilitation is not a foolproof alternative to the punishment that one out of
two times the child will receive in spite of the rehabilitation efforts.


(While incarcerated 10.2
Before current sentence 39.8
During current sentence 53.6
Currently in program 30.1
Number of probationers 1,390,572)


Attack- While rehabilitation is successful in some case, a majority of the time a child who has
committed such a crime of such a heinous nature has pre existing conditions of violence that
cannot be worked out. At what do severe actions be put into effect to protect the public?
Come-back: Should the government and the public not attempt to help those who can be
helped instead of giving up on them before the attempt is made to rehabilitate them?
Ours- if the attempt fails and they are put back on the street in the same condition it
endangers the public and with the research showing that it fail most of the time why should they
be let go and allowed to hurt more people just because they are under the age of 18.


Closing
Children who commit adult crimes should be held to adult punishments. 10% of all homicides
are committed by children - a statistic that shocks. Making excuses for children because they
are too young to known the severity of their actions is not only hindering the childs possible
rehabilitation (which is already only 50% effective as is) but also their chance that they will
come to understand the he horrors of their crimes. One cannot be an adult getting into trouble
and a child when trying to get out of it.