Juvenile Delinquents

On March 7, 2000, Californians voted in favor of Proposition 21 - The Juvenile Justice Initiative. . The number of crimes committed by juveniles has risen dramatically, and it will continue to rise unless some action is taken. Thus, juvenile offenders should be punished more severely to deter other teenagers from committing crimes and for the safety of all citizens. I am in favor of the requirement that juvenile offenders, age 14 or older, be tried as adults for serious …

…to be tried as an adults, they would receive more strict sentences convincing them that what they did was wrong. It would also possibly prevent them from being repeat offenders in the future. As it is, without the passage of Proposition 21 the juvenile justice system merely issued slap on the wrist punishments. Hopefully, this proposition sends a message to minors that if they commit a violent crime, they should be prepared to face strict consequences.