1. Read the article of the link below:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-sullivan7-2009nov07,0,5025811.story
2. In 200-300 words, discuss what your opinion is. Make sure you cite the opinion article (at least twice) and any other sources you might research to support your opinion (hint: if you use an outside resource, it might strengthen your grade).
3. Make sure you pay attention to grammar, punctuation, and appropriate citing procedures.
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As I read the article I was able to see the author point. If juvenile are able to do such a cruel crime. They should be punished to the correct standard. This is an example “Terrance Jamar Graham was 16 when he joined two others in a failed attempt to robe a restaurant; a year later, he was on probation when he participated in a home invasion robbery.” Even thought he got parole he chooses not to o good so he wet back in.
ReplyDeleteI also agree when the author said “18 is the point at which society determines people are ready to sign contracts, marry without parental consent, serve on juries and be drafted into the military.” Is the point of which the reality hit you and you realize that you can make such mistakes. The youth of our society should be punish for what they did. So that can learn to not live with those habits.
As I read the article, Cruel Life in Prison by the LA Times, I couldn’t help to agree with what the author was saying. I think that it is fair that if a teen commits a huge crime like murder then they should be punished like an adult. “But there are, fortunately, few in the position of Joe Sullivan, sentenced in Florida to life without parole for a crime he committed when he was only 13.” I think this because in my way of seeing it, if someone is capable of such monstrosities as to kill another human being then they should be mature enough to endure the consequences. “But not for juveniles. The U.S. is, for now, the only nation that has not banned life in prison without parole for juvenile offenders.” Why should there be a different punishment for an adult and a teen if they are both being convicted of the same crime? In my opinion I don’t think that there should. It might be true that teens aren’t as mature as an adult but still when it come down to punishing someone who harmed someone else, I don’t think that maturity or age should be taken into account. Because in the end they still committed a horrible crime.
ReplyDeleteAs I read this article I saw and understood the authors point. Those teens who commit
ReplyDeletecrime should at least have a chance to make up for their crime because have different
mind that adults have. To be honest, I think that most of the teens have immature minds
and don’t really know what they are doing when it comes to violence. I myself as a teen,
if I was in a situation with violence, I would honestly be stuck in a situation where I don’t
know what to do, and even decide to do the crime. “Terrance Jamar Graham was 16 when
he joined two others in a failed attempt to rob a restaurant; a year later, he was on probation
when he participated in a home invasion robbery. His crimes were brutal; he was a repeat
offender; and he deserved to be punished, to be imprisoned, and even, perhaps, to be
sentenced to life.” With this quote from the article, I agree on this because he did have a first
crime, and he didn’t learn his lesson from that crime. He committed a second crime and he got punished for it. As I kept on reading this article I read a part that said “There are, to be sure, youths who mature earlier than others, just as there are adults who never fully
mature. “ I strongly agree on this because I believe that it is right. Many teens mature slowly, and many adults don’t mature at all. This is true, because around me I see people who are older than me that seem to be so immature about things, and I end up thinking I am more mature than they are as my age. In my opinion, I think that teens should be treated the same as adults, but on their second crime. If they don’t change, then that’s too bad, don’t you think? They would have to make them pay for their crime, because it wouldn’t be fair. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY. 0__o
-Sara Martinez(;
In the article, " Cruel life in prison" the author emphasizes that young victim should not received a sentence that offers no desire for any hope for release. Many teens act foolish during their young age unlike adults and don't think about their self actions. For example, "The U.S. Supreme Court recognized in 2005 that it is unconstitutionally cruel to execute people for crimes committed before they were 18, because youths lack the sense of responsibility that society requires of adults." Young teens lack the responsibility of admitting and forgiving their crime because they don't have the same mind as real man yet. Another example would be, "Young people have too little experience to fully grasp the consequences of their actions." I strongly agree, they should let teens under the age of 18 received another chance to redeem themselves and take their life lesson with them. to prevent any further crimes. In addition, I strongly disagree they should not allow teenager experience a life sentence or death sentence, because they haven't faced their life as an adult. However, if the crimes they commited were related to death from a innocent individual that causes no harm to them, then " yes" they should received a life or death sentence.
ReplyDelete-Phi La
When I first read the article,"Cruel life in prison," my irst impression was,"Dang...that's messed up!" I totally disagree with the author's point. I think that it is TOTALLY fair to try a teen like an adult if he/she commits a terrible act like murder. Many people have the tendency to believe that they are just children or that they don't know what they are doing.BULL!!!! Man that pisses me off!!! Teens are practically grown adults! They CAN ditinguish the difference between right and wrong. If the crime they commited caused an innocent individual to be killed then YES they should received a life or death sentence. In a 2005 study, "The U.S. Supreme Court recognized that it is "unconstitutionally" cruel to execute people for crimes committed before they were 18, because youths 'lack the sense of responsibility that society requires of adults'." No. Hell no! This gets me mad just thinking about it! Linda Thomson, in her article,"Mother victim wants teen tried in Adult Court", states that teens should be tried as adults if they commit adult-like crimes. "The mother of a young homicide victim tearfully told a judge Tuesday that keeping the teen charged with the shooting for five years in the juvenile justice system 'would not be justice'"(Para.1). In another related article, an unknown author states,"The eight Florida teens who videotaped a half-hour beating of a classmate will be tried as adults and could face life behind bars if convicted, CNN reports. The suspects face felony kidnapping charges, and three also face witness tampering raps"(Para.1). Overall I strongly disagree with the author. If teens commit hanus acts of crime then they SHOULD be sentenced or tried like an adult!
ReplyDelete-Ben J. Ramirez...
p.s. this article pissed me off! (283)
Well what can I say about the article "Cruel Life in Prison," my first reaction to this was,"OMG unbelievable," I can't really decide between the fact that when it comes to teens they should be trialed as adults or that because they are teens they seriously don't have the slightest idea from right and wrong yet. I am caught in the middle with this argument, like I agree with the author's point of view, about teens that haven't matured fully yet, but they are old enough to be fully aware of what the hell they are doing. When it comes to the littlest things like stealing,tagging, but killing!! I say that's the right thing to do, when they took somebody elses life, now it's their's that's on the line. Pretty much the court have no choice either than no mercy, and bring those that are guilty to justice.(sounds like something that came out of the movies)
ReplyDeleteLike for an example, "Terrance Jamar Graham was 16 when he joined two others in a failed attempt to robe a restaurant; a year later, he was on probation when he participated in a home invasion robbery." he had the chance to fix his life and make it better, but he choose not to and he just keeps going back. So do to this matter I have decided that I dissagree with the author's statement because if teens are going to be criminals then it's their choice and they should be trialed as an adult.
Well in the article "Cruel Life in Prison" well my first intention on the article was that if a teen were to commit a murder like that big he should be punished like a adult depending on what age he is that is. For example if he was like 14 or younger than maybe juvenile is right for him but if it were 16 or older than he is basically a adult is how i would see it. Teens now a days should already know from right and wrong. I completely don't know who to agree with I agree with the author but at the same time I don't, when it comes to stealing or like tagging that's nothing compared to killing its something that you cannot go back in time and fix its permanent. A teenager must face the trial and if they are even lucky enough to not be in so long depending on the killing degree.
ReplyDeleteBasically after talking about this I disagree with the author and believe that this teen should be trialed. Example Terrance Jamar Graham was given a second chance but screwed it over but that was his decision to make. Do to that his life was now going downhill so disagreeing with the author this teen should face court.
Wow! I agree with Ben one hundred percent. A teen DOES know how to distinguish between right and wrong. If a teen knows how to plan a restaurant robbery then he obviously knows what the consequences could be. The author lamely states, "Youths lack the sense of responsibility that society requires of adults." However, they have the sense to plan a robbery and a home invasion?! This author is clearly and idiotically contradicting him/herself!!! Not satisfied yet, the author dares mention the fact that, "young people have too little experience to fully grasp the consequences of their actions." If this were even remotely true than no other teen will ever get life sentence in jail or anything of that matter because "we do not know better". Teens are committing crimes that most ADULTS and TEENS would not think of doing. Miles Moffeit and Kevin Sipmson from the Denverpost.com provides a great example to justify the imprisonment of teens for the atrocities they commit. For example, "Another teen faces life behind bars for killing his mother", "A third teen with a history of alcohol problems is serving a life sentence for a fatal hit-and-run incident after a day of heavy drinking", and "A teenager serves life in prison because authorities found his fingerprints at the scene of a murder". These are the PERFECT reason as to why teens should be facing such drastic measures as life in prison and other similar sentences.
ReplyDeleteIn the article, “Cruel Life in Prison” the author emphasizes that young adults being sent to jail without parole is wrong. I agree with the author because young people often act foolish around others in order to “fit” in. As the author states, “young people have too little experience to fully grasp the consequences of their actions” (¶ 1). Meaning that many teens do not comprehend what the future consequences might be until it is too late. With this in mind I can say that teens that commit brutal crimes should not be sent to jail without a chance at parole, because I can argue that while being in jail one can learn to accept what they committed and grow as a person. When one grows as a person it is like a new beginning; so why not let them have a second chance at life in the future? Another example could be, “Society can and should countenance a hopeless existence in prison for adult perpetrators. But not for juveniles. The U.S. is, for now, the only nation that has not banned life in prison without parole for juvenile offenders, and more than 2,000 are serving such terms behind bars” (¶ 5). The U.S. should consider the high number of juveniles that have been sent to jail without parole. If they want the number of people in prisons to reduce, they should reflect on letting juvenile sentenced prisoners a chance at parole. To conclude, I believe that Juvenile sentenced prisoners should have a chance at parole in order to show society how much they have grown since their crime was committed.
ReplyDelete--Leo Aviles
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI strongly disagree with the article, “Cruel Life in Prisons” by L.A times I think everyone should be judged for what they do, not for how old they are. I am a teenager and I know what I am doing whether it is good or bad. It is not fair to not face the consequences when you do something bad just because you are young and immature. By reading this article it remembered me of a teenager who committed a crime.
ReplyDeleteShe was 15 years old girl who liked to smoke marijuana. So she’ll always look for money to buy. When she found no other source of money she decided to rob a store. She robbed it but fortunately the police came. She was taken to prison and she felt the sad reality. She said she did not know what she was doing; she was immature, and felt sorry. But it was too late, and she faced the consequences. We have to be fair because when someone commits a crime, such as a murder, you can affect the lives of several people. Being immature should not make any difference when you commit a crime. And just as a person was able to committed the crime they should pay for it. In life, every action has a consequence, whether is good or not, despite what is described in the article "Cruel Life in prison."
Well this article talks about how teens are still young to understand about life. I think that is so retarded. First of all teens should know their right and wrong by now. That’s why it’s called school where you learn mostly everything. Committing a murder “come on” you teens should think about the consequences when you even thinking about doing that. Why the hell wouldn’t you be in life in prison “you killed a person you bimbo” they should treat you like an adult because it’s not that hard to know what kind of non sense you are doing. “The U.S. Supreme Court recognized in 2005 that it is unconstitutionally cruel to execute people for crimes committed before they were 18, because youths lack the sense of responsibility that society requires of adults.” I know that kids lack a sense of responsibility but they have been constantly taught that violence is never the answer especially KILLING. Kids in a way are young adults so even if they aren’t adults they should have the knowledge not to be in a bad situation like that. In other words I would say that teens should be treated as an adult simply because they know not to be in a bad situation like that.
ReplyDeleteAs i was reading this article, it came to my understanding that the main argument the author is trying to come across is the issue of criminal activities that are mainly caused by juveniles. The article states "youths lack the sense of responsibility that society requires of adults. Their personalities are not yet fixed..." (paragraph 1) and to an extent I do have to agree because being part of the youth I know from my own understanding that we tend to put what should be our priorities behind other pointless things but, that is only because we are young. It is logical to think that youths have no responsibility but you can not just make an assumption that all adults have figure out their lives completely. It is also logical to believe that some of the youths are not given the option of being able to grow as a teen, themselves and take on the responsibilities of what a an adult should have. This article reminded me of the article, which I am not able to recall its title, where the young man fulfills the expectations that his grandfather had for him which included defining himself as an American citizen. My reason for connecting these two ideas is because at the beginning of "Cruel Life in Prison" they talk about the influences of others, and I believe they were referring to influences that are older in age so seeing that the young man in the other article was able to grow positively, he stands as a symbol that there is hope in fixing the corrupt minds of the youth.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article "Cruel Life in Prison," I was left speechless. I understand that some adolecents may be immature, but when it comes down to extreme situations, such as robbery or murder, they are held responsible for their punishment. It is certainly unfair for an individual to escape any type of consequence.
ReplyDeleteAlthough in America being 18 years old is considard an adult, most of these individuals have the mind of a teen. "But there must be a line, and age 18 is the point at which society determines people are ready to sign contracts,marry without parental consent, serve on juries and be drafted into the military." My reaction to this fact was, "Wow, ok so is it right for a 18 year old individual to drive with out an undocumented licence? Or drink under the age of 21 since they are considard an adult?" Yes, society is quite unclever with determing whether or not an individual is yet ready to be treated as an adult.
However, it is obvious that such actions caused by a minor should be handled seriously and not as a joke. The proper punishment should be given but a life sentence for a juvinille seems unreasonable, mostly because teens have not sensed or felt the true meaning of life.
Each person in the universe has a purpose in life and it is definatly not being tied down behind bars or in prison. They way society hands orders to an individual may or may not be fair but it depends on the crime, records, and the total cause of damage. Well atleast that's how I see it.
As I read the article, “Cruel Life in Prison,” by L.A Times it made me think that these people are going crazy! What are they thinking? I think that this is not a smart idea of not sentencing teens for their acts just because they aren’t “responsible”. They are more than responsible of what they do; they know what they are doing that’s why they do it. Teenagers shouldn’t get away with something they know they did wrong; they should be punished. What would the world be like if we have all these teens killing others just because they know that they aren’t going to be punished for any of their acts because they aren’t “responsible”? Murder is a huge crime in this country that shouldn’t be allowed by anyone, not even teens. At the age of 12 people start viewing everything as if they were an adult already; now imagine how they think at the age of 16 and 18? These teenagers are young adults that deserve to be punished for something such as a crime. Nobody can get away with such a thing like this. Terrence Jamar Graham made a wrong decision on trying to rob a restaurant but failed, since they didn’t punish him, he thought it was okay to keep on doing other stuff that wasn’t smart to do. If he doesn’t get punished he will continue to commit more crimes. I don’t think parole should be available for him because he knows that he has messed up many times, there is nothing that will make him get better. Therefore he should just stay in jail. Improving upon this thought, the judge should rethink this idea of not punishing teens just because of their age, they should think before they act.
ReplyDelete- Elizabeth Jimenez
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ReplyDeleteIn the article "Cruel life in prison" i can not come to a clear,just,consenscus and thats y i stay in the middle of this arguement.Now the author proves a good point in the article when he descreibes the responsibility of a 18 yera old like when he said,"18 is the point at which society determines people are ready to sign contracts, marry without parental consent, serve on juries and be drafted into the military"(pp 4).He gives the audience an example of how 18 is the age of all those standards and responsibilities but how someone so young can be arrested for life and and not fully understand for example " But there are, fortunately, few in the position of Joe Sullivan, sentenced in Florida to life without parole for a crime he committed when he was only 13"(pp6). This in my opinion is wrong but when u really think about it is really hard to argue with or against this issue.
ReplyDeletePeople might view it as bad but, it all comes back to the big question " When are you truly an adult in America". Me being a teen i am self-conscious of my actions and i believe all other teens should be also if they commit such a horendous crime because they can use it as an excuse of being to young and not being treated right.
in conclusion i really can not find a clear solution and thats why im just in the middle of this issue.
When I read “Cruel life in prison” I had the chance to be informed of this situation even more as I was already aware. I do not believe that it is fair for these teens to be sentenced so harshly. I do not think a teen can be mentally prepared to live in a prison for a life time. Prison is supposed to help a person recover in a way in order for them not to commit a crime again, but on the contrary they are not giving them the proper recovery. I think life has second chances and it seems like they are not deserving of a second chance even though they are human just like us. This is an early stage in their lives and they can overcome their crime and succeed in life. At age 18 I think they are more aware of what they are doing therefore they deserve a harsher punishment. I agree with his statement “Society can and should countenance a hopeless existence in prison for adult perpetrators. But not for juveniles.” His point is valid and that is what goes through my head as I read the article. There is an exact age for harsh sentences and a minor I think is not the proper age.
ReplyDelete-Ailly
The U.S Supreme Court recognized in 2005 was that they shouldn’t execute anyone before 18 for their crimes. In the article, “Cruel Life in Prison” published by L.A Times stated, “Their personalities are not yet fixed; they are more susceptible to the negative influences of other people or events” (Paragraph 1), exclaiming how adolescents are not yet capable to have themselves come up with the outcome of their actions. I agree, most teens that get into mischief don’t plan out what their future holds or whether or not that is the correct thing to do. Many just get “caught up in the moment” and go along with their peers or whoever they are with and then later realize that what they just did had cost them. Furthermore explaining, L.A Times said “Likewise, the threat of a stiff penalty cannot have the same deterrent effect on a youth as it does on an adult; young people have too little experience to fully grasp the consequences of their action” (Paragraph 1) clarifying on how teens shouldn’t receive the identical fine because it would not give the same affect.
ReplyDeleteIt’s true that, “But there must be a line, and age 18 is the point at which society determines people are ready to sign contracts, marry without parental consent, serve on juries and be drafted into the military” (Paragraph 4), by being 18 should mean that you can think for yourself now. Take on the responsibility of your own actions, make up your own mind, and stand on your own two feet. There shouldn’t be an excuse or you blaming someone else for your own doing.
Society has belittled our today's children. "Cruel life in prison" awakens our eyes to the truth of today, the truth in which brings devastation to our population. Taking candy from a baby, society eats its own. Have we become no less than a mole-rat? "The one that eats its own."
ReplyDeleteWhen is it ever right to kill a child? Who's to judge the line between the child and the MAN but , "But there must be a line, and age 18 is the point at which society determines people are ready to sign contracts, marry without parental consent, serve on juries and be drafted into the military."(1)We are eating our own future away, kids destroyed by common bad judgment unawareness, outisde influeneces and more. There's little chance, "But there are, fortunately, few in the position of Joe Sullivan, sentenced in Florida to life without parole for a crime he committed when he was only 13."(1)
Society has produced undesired stimuli to our populations which cause negative responses. We let our sense of dominance control us all. Society has belittled our future.
I completely agree with the article, “Cruel Life in Prison.” Juveniles should get the chance of being let out of prison early on parole. Teenagers do many idiotic things during their childhood and they should be punished for it. However, being sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole is insane. They wont get the chance to experience life because they did a reckless thing during their teen years. Adolescents are still developing and can be easily influenced to do stupid things. For example, “…because youths lack the sense of responsibility that society requires of adults. Their personalities are not yet fixed; they are more susceptible to the negative influences of other people or events.” Another piece that caught my attention was, “The U.S. is, for now, the only nation that has not banned life in prison without parole for juvenile offenders, and more than 2,000 are serving such terms behind bars.” Seriously how can the United States, the so-called Land of Opportunity, not grant these adolescents parole? Yes they messed up but they should be given to chance to get out of prison. I believe after serving a good amount of time they should get the chance to have their case reviewed instead of locking them up and throwing away the key.
ReplyDelete-Marvin
Roniece says...
ReplyDeleteI think people who created the crimes at a young age should not be sentence to life in prison without parole. If the person had murder someone i would sentence twenty-five years in prison. At a young age people do and make naive decision. So i could not give them life in prison because people out there is broke and the need away to make money. I’ am not saying it is okay to create a crime but sometimes people would need help to get ahead and they would always find away. I have two sites to compare this behavior. In away it is kind of life the naking massacre because the were young and old people who had killed at a very young age but they was killed and some of them was in prison life without parole. My other site is the Chinese immigrants‘. And i compare this is because when Chinese people were treated wrong and did not have control of their life. There was someone who help them and act a certain way so they can fee very comfortable. My opinion is that anyone who created a crime at young age should not have the government make there sentences without any parole.
While I was reading “Cruel life in prison”, I was shocked to hear that the author believed teens under the age of 18 shouldn’t get prosecuted for life sentence. He also had the nerve to say that, “youths lack the sense of responsibility that society requires of adults.”(paragraph 1) All teens no matter what age you are, knows what’s right from wrong. Teens all around the U.S have a right to control their density. The gift of choice gives everybody the right to be their self and do whatever they want. If teens make the wrong choice and become persecuted to life in prison, teens should accept their consequence. Teens and adults share no difference from each other. They are both people who have responsibilities and duties to manage. The Supreme Court idea has not even change how teens are after their first offense. For example, the author stated that Terrance Jamar Graham was attempting a robbery while in parole for his last offense. Our governments need to stop this corruption and stop teens for entering the court repeatedly.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, every teen in America have a choice to go bad or good. It’s their choice to grow in prosperity. In addition, our government should offer life sentence for murders, rapes and other harsh thing that affects people lives.
Reading "Cruel Life in Prison", stated about life sentencing to teens under the age eighteen.The author left me in the middle of the argument,not choosing a side."There are, to be sure, youths who mature earlier than others, just as there are adults who never fully mature"(papragrah 4).At this moment i believe that teens already know consequences for actions that occur and know enough about the world around them. Ever since little you dtart learning about the police and when going to school you learn way more about actions and told that they are bad choices.However,yes there is teens that may grow up slowly or mentally,but at the same time,yes its common sence.If its dealing with killing i believe that the victim deserves the same pain the other went through.
ReplyDeleteMy other side is the second chance.I may believe in the second chance. But it does depend upon the action.Stealing,threating,disobeying or whatever the case may be besides killing,i say deserve a second chance because they will now know how to act and hopefully be mature enough.
After reading Los Angeles Time the column on Cruel Life in Prison I realize that I completely agree with the author’s opinion. Everyone should pay for the mistakes they have done. There are always consequences, so think twice before breaking a law. A teenager should only be charged as an adult only if he or she commits an adult crime. For example, if a teenager was charged with murder or attempted murder I believe that they should be trialed as an adult. The right place for him or her is prison not Juvenile hall.
ReplyDeleteAt the age of 16 the teenage boy Terrance Jamar Graham “participated in an attempted robbery of a restaurant” and his consequence was to be put on probation. While being on probation he “participated in a home invasion robbery. “ “His crimes were brutal; he was a repeat offender; and he deserved to be punished, to be imprisoned, and even perhaps to be sentenced to life.” I strongly agree that maybe him having some jail time will actually help him realize that his actions are wrong and that he cannot play with the law. Everyone sooner or later pays for their mistakes. They gave him a second chance and he didn’t take an advantage of it. I do not agree with them sentencing him to life in prison for that crime, he did not take someone else life away (murder) so why would they have the right to take away his life by putting him in prison for the rest of his life.
YESENIA TORRES....
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ReplyDeleteIn the article "Cruel Life in Prison," published by LA times, i strongly agree with what the author said because minors doesn't know what their doing since their at a young age, the only way they know is by doing something bad and end up having consequences. Later on in life they notice all the responsibility and start to adapt to it at the age or 13-17 they do stupid things just to impress their peers and feel good about themselves. The article talks about how this 16 year old boy should be punished cause of restaurant robbery and probation and that he should be sentenced to life in prison, i disagree and agree kinda, at a young age like shouldn't have that bad of a cruelty. The boys young go easy on him! but the bad part is that he should of learn his lesson the second time! So basically he's asking for it? Well that's what i think. But, he shouldn't be sentenced to life in prison because of robbery he didn't commit a murder.
ReplyDeleteHis mind and body is still undeveloped. plus! he's not 18, soooo that makes him a minor still, if he was 18 that would of been a whole different story. Being 18 means responsibility, be responsible for your own actions, think before doing something stupid. This is dramatic. -____-
I completely agree with this article, “Cruel Life in Prison” (Los Angeles Times 1), while at first I thought our views would differentiate, the writer’s opinions are very similar to mine. I think that the point that was very important to me was when it said “His crimes were brutal… and he deserved to be punished, to be imprisoned, and even, perhaps, to be sentenced to life. But not without a chance… for a court or parole board to review his growth and development and consider another chance at parole”. I agree with the writer’s position to punish youth for their act, to not, let up, but I also think that every case is special and that there are exceptions to everything. I strongly feel that crimes should get proper punishment, even if it means life in prison. With that said, I also feel that we need to look deeper into cases to see what we can do to help the individual, and second chances should be given to certain individuals “at the very least for those whose crime fall short of murder.”
ReplyDeleteI strongly disagree with “young people have too little experience to fully grasp the consequences of their actions.” I think that the youth has full understanding of what they are doing, and sometimes use the excuse of being minors to protect them against strong penalties.
In the book “ A Lesson Before Dying” by Earnest Gaines, we see a man who is severely punished for a crime he did not commit, some can argue that he was punished this way because of the color of his skin, because of racism he was punished beyond what he should have. Are teens getting off too easy for crimes that they did commit simply because they are minors? I personally think so, I have relatives who were in and out of juvenile hall consistently, and when they got older they told me, “Now I can’t mess up, I can’t do what I did before because I am a not a minor anymore. When I was a minor I didn’t care, I knew that they (judges) would be lenient and I would not get in much trouble”
-Jorge Rivera (360)
I agree with the author one hundred percent. Children and or minors should not be punished as severely as adults when it comes to the legal justice system. For example, in the text it reads “The court on Monday will hear arguments in the cases of two Floridians sentenced, in effect, to eventually die in prison because they lack even the slightest chance of release on parole.” I believe that the ways these Floridians were trialed was wrong. They should not be in prison for the rest of their life because of a mistake they have made in life. I’m sure many would agree that children need room to grow, to mature, and to learn what is right and what is wrong. One should mistake as a minor should not determine what the rest of a child’s life is going to be like. All children are different and must learn and grow in their own different way. As it reads in paragraph four of the article “There are, to be sure, youths who mature earlier than others, just as there are adults who never fully mature. But there must be a line…” I find this quote from the author to be completely true. I believe the line should be 18. at this age you should have enough experience in life to know weather or not to rob a restaurant or high jack a liquor store. At that line there are no longer any excuses for any offender to hide behind .
ReplyDeleteI really do believe giving these teens another chance is the right thing to do in most cases. They should be offered a second chance and given the opportunity to serve parole and redeem their mistakes. We all make mistakes and they should be able to learn from their mistakes and better themselves, but how can they do this if they are locked in a cell for the rest of their lives. I agree with the supreme court that they should give teens another chance but what if they mess up again what then. I do believe that if they mess up twice their should be no consent towards them and they should be tried as an adult. An example from the text is “Terrance Jamar Graham was 16 when he joined two others in a failed attempt to rob a restaurant; a year later, he was on probation when he participated in a home invasion robbery. His crimes were brutal; he was a repeat offender; and he deserved to be punished, to be imprisoned, and even, perhaps, to be sentenced to life. But not without a chance”. This isn’t right, how is the teen supposed to learn a lesson if he isn’t disciplined properly. How will it end, will they continue to give him chances after every crime as horrible as they might be as long as he is a minor?
ReplyDeleteIn the article "Crue Life in Prison" by Los Angeles Times, explains how teenagerd can commit crimes, but the U.S Surpreme Court doesnt think that they should hjave har punishments for teens under age. "The U.S Supreme court recognized in 2005 people for crimes commited before they were eigthteen, because youth lack the sence of responsibility that society requiers of adults"(para1). well teenagers can make mistakes and do many crazy things, but even though they are tenagers they should get a punistment.i think that tens can commit a crime once but as soon as they keep on doing it and catch them several times then they should start getting severe punishments. " Terrance Jamar Graham was 16 when he joined two others in a failed attemp to rob a restaurant; a year later, he was on probation when he participated in a home invassion robbery" (para3). they let this boy go the first time he commited a crime but at the second time he got a punishment. i think everytime the person keeps on doind a crime over and over again then should get a harder punishment. Sometimes what people want is for something really bad to happen to them in order to learn a lesson, but if they continue on just letting them go because they are under age, then the teens are going to keep on doing it again and might think is right. teens also should think before they act, because they should know what is right and wrong.
ReplyDeleteInitially, I thought the article would explore upon the facets of daily life in prison and its inadequacies. However, it expands upon minors having to, literally, spend their life incarcerated. This is an issue that has always had a place in the back of my mind ever since I was taught about teenager Tony Hick’s murder of Tariq Khamisa. Hicks was fourteen at the time and sentenced to first degree murder, however, he is now eligible for parole. (1) My opinion on the issue itself; I believe that there are too many different circumstances of different exigencies to have a one sided view of the argument. A different article, yet offering discourse on the same issue and only published two days later, by the Washington Post (2) expands upon the Floridians’ lawyers arguments. The two lawyers, despite both being criminal attorneys, had greatly divergent views, “Gowdy said the court should abolish life without parole for any non-homicide crime committed by someone younger than 18” (Page 2, Paragraph 1) while “Stevenson said the court should not allow life without parole for any crime, homicide or not, committed by someone younger than 14.” (Paragraph 2) In a nutshell, my opinion is that the law has far too many technicalities and loopholes to ever allow true flexibility without compromising it’s true nature; justice and as the article states “Society's understandable demand for retribution…” (Paragraph 1) One interesting thing I’d like to bring up is that the article mentions Joe Sullivan who was “sentenced in Florida to life without parole for a crime he committed when he was only 13” (Paragraph 6) The Washington Post article elaborates on his case, revealing he was prosecuted for raping an elderly woman. This again, shows that age may or may NOT be a factor in committing crimes thus rendering judicial ambiguity impossible.
ReplyDelete(1) http://www.tkf.org/story/tonystory.htm
(2) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/09/AR2009110900702_2.html?sid=ST2009110903544
- Duy Vu
P.S. I hate this site so much it only works half the time ! ! !!!$*HRNUR(@R(@N
My opinion about this article is iffy. I really do not know if to agree or disagree with it with. The reason why I'm stuck in between is because even though teens like me know the difference between what is right and what is not does not mean they can get out of jail faster just because of the age. But then again everyone is going to make mistakes. No one is perfect. But do you think its fair to let them (teens) get out of jail faster and have a less harder consequence just because they are not 18 yet? Like everybody says "Age is just a number." So why does one single number make a difference between being a teen or an adult? Meaning whether you get a longer time or not.
ReplyDeleteIf someone I knew got sent to jail at a young age for doing something they did not think through, I would be pretty upset and say they should get out early. But like I said before, everyone knows the difference between good and bad so that would make me rethink that thought. Maybe if they did no think it through all the way they knew it was not a good idea but still went on with what they wanted and knew that there was a consequence awaiting them. So then I guess I mostly disagree with the article agree.
At first, I thought that this article may be about many different kinds of cruelty in prison, but not about the cruelties of sentencing youths to life even though they "lack the sense of responsibility that society requires of adults"(para.1). The kids they talk about, who have this unfair punishment, have committed crimes with that do require severe consequences, but where is the rationality of these particular punishments when you realize at what age these crimes were committed? In my honest opinion, there is none. Of course anyone, even juveniles, should be punished if they did something like this, but if they are still minors then like the author stated, there should be, "a chance, in the future, for a court or parole board to review his growth and development and consider another chance at parole" (para.3).
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that all children under 18 lack common sense, because that is ridiculous. The author points out something that everyone should consider. There are, "youths who mature earlier than others" (para.4). Charles D. Stimson and Andrew M. Grossman state in their article, "Adult Time for Adult Crime Conclusion: A Lawful and Appropriate Punishment," that "life without parole is an effective and lawful sentence for the worst juvenile offenders." It may seem unfair to certsain people, but it is the truth. If you are a child who has committed a crime that deserves a life sentence, no matter your age, that is what you should get. Though, I still think that once you've reached adulthood you should be allowed a court hearing for parole.
This article really had me thinking about, well what if this happened to me? I would be trying to get people to see it my way, of course, but I would also know that maybe the consequences I am receiving are more than deserved. It's just the reality of things.
-Brittany Loving
(P.s.) I love Benny's response Mr. Robinson, but we all know how involved he gets in these discussions LOL =)
After, reading this article I feel that authorities have reached the maximum amount of cruelty. Minors are humans that sometimes make mistakes; they should not condemn them for life sentences. According to the author minors are not able to “to sign contracts, marry without parental consent, serve on juries and be drafted into the military” (1). How can they be sentenced to life, if they have not experience life? I believe that instead of spending the money in juvenile prisons, they should spend in organizations against crime. In the other hand, I believe that sometimes it is necessary to give life sentences to minors. For example, in the case of Jamar Graham, he was on probation when he participated in a home invasion robbery. In this case is necessary to incarcerate minors because they are dangerous to society. To finalized, I believe that judges should concert more about the future of this minors. Although, they commit a crime they are not responsible yet. In various cases humans make errors at first, but then they learned from his errors. According to the author “The kind of sentence for a crime committed at such an early age of 13 shocks the conscience and cannot be seen as anything but unconstitutionally unusual -- as well as cruel” (1). Authority should never abuse when a minor is in risk.
ReplyDelete(Precis Summary)
An unknown author in his opinion article, “Cruel life in prison” (November 7, 2009), affirms that life sentences applying to minors are unconstitutional. He supports his claim by using as an example the life sentence of Terrace Jamar Graham, recognize that some youths mature later than others, and comparing our juvenile laws with others countries’ juvenile laws. His purpose is to convince society that life sentence is unconstitutional, in order to reduce life sentences in our country. He uses a condemnatory, serious tone for an audience of politicians.
First of all, at certain degree, adolescents should be tried as adults. If such situations end with a person brutally hurt, or possibly killed, then it makes sense for a teenager to be tried as an adult. However, sentence for life is an unreasonable consequence for an adolescent. Actually, this can apply to adults as well.
ReplyDeleteThe example the article, "Cruel Life in Prison," from the L.A. Times, states that, "Terrance Jamar Graham...failed [to] attempt to rob a restaurant; a year later, he was on probation when he participated in a home invasion robbery" (Para. 3). My question is, "Why did they not give him a punishment the first time?" A slap on the wrist is not enough. Especially if he attempted another robbery, and was sentenced to prison. This just shows that he learned nothing from his mistake. There should have been a reasonable punishment for the first offense in order to ensure that he would possibly not do it again. Like I said before, they cannot let him off easy the first time and then send him to prison the second time. The sequence of severity of punishments does not go in order! In truth, the judicial system is unfair.
Sentence for life is equivalent to death. Why wither a life in prison when you can just kill them on the spot? I honestly think that life in prison should be reconsidered. The article yet again brings to attention that, "The same reasoning that bars execution for crimes committed in youth should also block such sentences of life without hope for young people, at the very least for those whose crimes fall short of murder" (Para. 2). It does not take someone a lifetime to understand their mistakes. After a certain amount of years, a person may finally realize that they had done something wrong. An adolescent should have the ability to relive their life after their sentence in prison. This is, of course, after they have some type of assistance that will help better them as citizen. Sure, punishments should be given, but they should be given at appropriate times.
- Bach Diep (353)
In my opinion this article, “Cruel life in prison” (Los Angeles Times) makes me contradict myself because as much as i want to agree with this article i can’t. For example, if i were to kill someone i would understand that it’s a wrong thing to do and there are consequences to my action. Although, i believe that many others agree that the charges are far too severe when it comes to death penalty or life sentence. The strongest opinion i believe the author had was when he explained “But there must be a line, and age 18 is the point at which society determines people…” When the age of 18 comes you are officially considered an adult which means that you are no longer treated like a child. The law will now be enforced upon those who break them. You learn from your mistakes that’s what makes you a better person. Not committing those mistakes makes you a smarter person. If people can’t manage the responsibility that is before them they should think twice before committing that error. Then again, it all depends on the actions that are committed; there are those whose actions lead to disasters and those whose actions are normal mistakes. We as young teenagers know that the law is a sign of superiority, which we must obey in order to not get into trouble. Bottom line, if we can’t sustain our own action then we might as well not break the laws. Responsibility is what we must obtain for achievement in life. In order to do so we must always remember that we make our mistakes but we must not let those become undesirable actions. I personally can tell you that i come from a family that is constantly getting in trouble and that ruined theirs lives. They couldn’t spent time with their love ones, they wanted to be let out free, and time passed by and they couldn’t do nothing about it. It’s a tragedy what happens when you commit the errors and through out life you realize that the only damage you’re causing is being directed towards your own self. My own cousin told me, “i have made some bad decisions in my life and for that i pay with my own life, its hard to keep moving through with the scar being created since my actions were committed. The thing that hurts the most is i haven’t seen my daughter in three years.” When you are caught in a devastated life like that, you see all the mistakes and feel tortured be your own actions.
ReplyDelete-Edith Carrillo
after reading the story "Cruel life in Prison" published by LA Times, i agreed with the author because teens should not be punished for crimes in the same way as adults. I believe when teens are young they "tend" to make mistakes that they wouldn't even think about doing as adults, for example going into a restaurant and running out without paying, adults "wouldn't even think about such matter". That small example just shows teens mature as they become adults, its part of life,thats why its premature to sentence a teen to life for committing a crime. on the other hand theirs adults who act the same as they did when they where teens, which makes it hard to make a decision on weather to punish teens in a cruel way.in pg3. the 16 year old deserve a chance at parole because he might learn from his faults while in prison.
ReplyDeleteWile reading the editorial “Cruel life in prison,” I could not help but to agree with the U.S. Supreme Court concerning the idea that, “Juvenile offenders should not receive a sentence that offers no hope for eventual release.” The youth of our country are exploited to many types of criminal acts by the media or grow up in an area with high levels of crime rates and violence. According to the “All Academic Research,” “Recent work on the relationship between adolescent violence and its outcomes has posited that aggression by adolescents who are exposed to violence can be viewed as an adaptive strategy that seeks to order dangerous and unpredictable environments.” “Youths lack the sense of responsibility that society requires of adults. Their personalities are not yet fixed; they are more susceptible to the negative influences of other people or events,” according to the editorial “Cruel life in prison.” I believe that if crime and violence began to decrease and there is less exploitation of these acts there will be less youth’s imprisonment.
ReplyDeleteIn the article I read, “Cruel Life in Prison,” the author argues that young adults should not be sentenced to life in jail. Many people may disagree but I think that the author makes a good point. In fact, I don’t think any body should be sentenced to life in prison unless they are psychologically troubled mass murderers like Charles Manson.
ReplyDeleteIf people are in jail for their whole life they have a long time to regret the mistake(s) that put them in jail. If they commit murder they are responsible for taking the life of someone’s son or daughter but if all they did was steal someone’s purse they should not have to spend their whole life rotting in jail. The author states “The same reasoning that bars execution for crimes committed in youth should also block such sentences of life without hope for young people, at the very least for those whose crimes fall short of murder”(paragraph 1). If young adolescents are sentenced to life in prison they will never have a chance to experience the benefits of life or even contribute to the rest of society. This will affect them later on because they might get out in thirty years, but will not know enough to benefit or succeed in life. They will not be able to get a job because they never had a chance to finish school or take a part in society.
Teens are fickle but most can tell whether their actions are good or bad. As stated in the article, “That kind of sentence for a crime committed at such an early age shocks the conscience and cannot be seen as anything but unconstitutionally unusual -- as well as cruel” (paragraph 6). Age must not be an excuse to pardon anyone for acts such as murder. However, if a juvenile makes the mistake of attempted robbery they should not be punished for the rest of their life. If they are ever out of jail on parole they might get trapped in a cycle because they might have spent more time in jail then in the outside world. People can change but they might never get a chance unless society gives them that chance. They can change for the better and in turn contribute something to the world. A hint of hope to humanity that anyone can succeed no matter what they have done in the past.
-Carol Munoz
just making sure(:
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author when he stated that, "Young people have too little experience to fully grasp the consequence of their actions." I believe that adolescents are still vulnerable to their decisions. We then make mistakes in order to guide us to a path that hopefully will someday become perfection, but can we always get second chances? No, because life goes on. The punishments juvenilles recieve is not accoring to specific ages. I believe it is becausewe still believe that we can always try again. Regardless who we are, our backround or even our past, we should not retrace a path that is unlite in all four directions.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading, "Juvenile punishments," a question arosed, "Should we as a society allow cildren to commit serious crimes," the author asked. Makes me question why should we all be responsible for other people's responsibilities? As a society the influences that musicians or commercial ads provides students with a higher level on independencies. In which then makes them question, why should we listen? If we reduce the negative influences society's giving and provide adolescents with more outreach programs we would not have to decide whether or not prison's punishments are too cruel. Children, adolescents are the faces of tomorrow if we do not help rehabitilize them then who knows what the future will hold.
oh&i forgot to put by maneevanh soundara(:
ReplyDeleteIn "Cruel Life in Prison" I could not disagree with the authors opinion.I think that the prisons across the United States should not be executing teens under the age of 18.This is a very cruel punishment and they probably commited cruel crimes too, but I dont think that they will learn anything once they're dead.The family of the punished ones will be the ones who suffer more then the dead prisoners.I think its sad that the U.S. is the only nation that has not banned the life in prison.I think this should be changed only for the young ones.They still have a lot to learn and by imprisoning them for life won't teach them anything.Only one lucky teenager didn't have to suffer through this issue in Florida when everybody his age, like the age of 13 should all be lucky.I also agree with the author when he says that 18 is the age when they are just growing up and some mature faster than adults.Some are taken to war at even a younger age of 18 and its almost the same thing because they could die and its not fair.I cant say what they should do to the people that commited crimes, but what I know is that they should not be imprisoned at this early age.Other suggestions should be opened.Some that are less cruel and harsh.
ReplyDeleteAs I read this article it was reassuring note that although America is the top nation in the world, it still has many flaws it needs to fix in the near future. Its unfortunate that the future of our society are treated with such cruel punishments. The author makes a good point when he states, “Their personalities are not yet fixed; they are more susceptible to the negative influences of other people or events” (LA Times 1). Adolescents are in a phase when they make decisions that aren’t necessarily smart while engaging in the event, but later on understand and regret their wrong-doings. We have learned a lot about citizens being convicted unfairly in other literature we have read this year, such as Jefferson in “A Lesson before Dying”. The author, Ernest Gaines, illustrates the cruel punishment that young adults of America must endure because of how the American Society has classed them as. Therefore, they are “unconstitionally” convicted, like the author states. I agree with what the author is saying, because it is unfair to strip a young adult of not only their physical freedom, but their mental freedom as well. They should have at least a potential chance to be free in the future, even if it is 30 years, because it is still a sign of hope for them.
ReplyDelete-Alfredo (Gucci!)
Life in prison is not always the way we imagine it. When we think about life in prison, we think about criminals doing time for their crimes they have committed. But what we don’t know is that there are a lot of innocent people in prison doing time for a crime that they didn’t even commit or for a crime that they committed a long time ago. Juveniles are victims of this problem, they are sentenced to life in prison. Juveniles are punished as harsh as an adult. If they are old enough to be sentenced to life in prison why aren’t they old enough to drink or smoke. They have to be responsible for their own actions, so why aren’t they allowed to do so. If they are treated as an adult why aren’t they seen as one? Why is it that they make up these age limits for juveniles, why is their a different age for everything, for example you aren’t considered an adult until you turn eighteen, but old enough to drink when you turn twenty-one. If they are considered adults, aren’t they allowed to drink? It doesn’t make sense the way juveniles are being treated in prisons and outside of prison. Yes is true that they might had a committed a crime, but is really that big for a kid to be sentenced to life or even sometimes execution. Kids are being sent to prison for a crime like robbery or invasion. These crimes are important and they should be solved, but if a kid of thirteen years is the criminal, they shouldn’t have to be sent to prison. There are many other solutions to this, like Juvenile prison. This could be the solution to this unfairness against juveniles. by: Nalleli Arriaga
ReplyDeleteThroughout the article, “Cruel life in prison” it explicates the injustice in which the mistakes made by adolescents may effect their future by their past. Some are forced to rot in prison without any release. I agree with the author, he believes juveniles should not be cooped in prison without a fair case to freedom. “Their personalities are not yet fixed; they are more susceptible to the negative influences of other people or events.” (Paragraph 1), during the years of rebellion it is normal for those to act up and cause a riot which they soon realize is wrong but overtime, adjustments and changes can be made if any sign of hope shines their way. Although their acts weren’t wise nor the best choice, no one deserves to live life in a cage nonetheless as an animal. “That kind of sentence for a crime committed at such an early age shocks the conscience and cannot be seen as anything but unconstitutionally unusual -- as well as cruel.” (Paragraph 6), Cruelty in prison targets juveniles, they have yet to cease the injustice to give those with past mistakes another chance to rehabilitation. The author also mentioned the maturing process and how it may be delayed for some but they also need to understand their limits. But it makes me curious, how is it that anyone will be able to mature under the circumstance knowing their reality is what is beyond those prison walls? How do they develop? Why are they forced to suffer the cruelty that was committed without a chance to change? It’s unconstitutional. I know a few people who were hung on a thin line, not knowing whether to expect but they had to keep in mind that they were at fault. When you get involved, you are an accessory and no one can save you but yourself. Fortunately, they were given a second chance to change themselves for the better. They were put on probation while taking classes to adjust their behaviors until the next trial date. When that day finally came, they were surprised when their efforts to change saved their lives and because they were so grateful they never let another chance for their life to slip away like before.
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