14 yo and life in prison

[knkali]

Thoughts? When you were 14, did you think about things differently than you do now? Could there be a chance for change? Should they have a chance?

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/15/10670418-14-years-old-too-young-for-life-in-prison

[Barth]

Thoughts? When you were 14, did you think about things differently than you do now? Could there be a chance for change? Should they have a chance?

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/15/10670418-14-years-old-too-young-for-life-in-prison

I didn't read the article.
I'm dyslexic, at work and the sun was in my eyes - LOL!

It's sad that children are being sentenced as adult criminals.
But when the crimes committed are so heinous?
Also, the real issue, and the saddest, is these people have no sense of
right or wrong. No morals and are capable of anything.

A noted psychologist once said that teaching an individual morals,
after committing acts that indicate they have none, is something that just can't be done.
I don't know if I totally agree with that.
But we need to be protected from those that have no respect for human life - regardless of age.

Sad now

[knkali]

Ironic how we hold kids to a juvenile standard when to comes to voting, military service, drinking and financial contracts as but as adults when it comes to life in prison without parole. Doesnt seem consistent

[muggsy]

Let them rot.

[Tinman507]

Thoughts? When you were 14, did you think about things differently than you do now? Could there be a chance for change? Should they have a chance?

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/15/10670418-14-years-old-too-young-for-life-in-prison

At 14 robbing a video store and killing someone or plotting to murder a neighbor wasn't even in the realm of possibilities for me. I was hoping to make the football team and stuff like that. There's a whole generation of kids who've been tossed aside to fend for themselves. That breeds criminal activity and a viciousness that is hard to fathom. Killing moving bipedal creatures is second nature to a lot of kids via video, XBox, Nintendo, etc.
When it crosses into reality the victims don't get up, the blood is real and the consequences are permament.

Yeah, I think differently now than I did at 14 but it's really hard to imagine myself in that situation.

[Bawanna]

I'm for lethal injection or hanging. They no longer have a useful purpose in life and can't provide anything beneficial for society. They are a drain on finances and a waste of air, food and space.
It's really sad we have to think this way but let them out and have them kill again and then see who is sad. Better them than a producing member of society.

[knkali]

well if we can kill em maybe we should let them in the military and let them drink and let them enter into contracts too. Lets give kids a chance to be productive too. What do you think?

[Bawanna]

It's important to note that I only speak of these two particular juveniles. Not juveniles in general.
These two have proven to be defective either through a short circuit in their brains, defective parents or lack there of or whatever.

Many juveniles who have committed slightly less heinous crimes are detained as juveniles until their 18th birthday and then set free to start over. Sometimes they are ok, sometimes they are not.

These two are NOT ok and I personally don't think they ever will be.

Part of the problem with soft punishment in recent times is there is no deterant and criminals get away with some very bad things with very little punishment.

[knkali]

Bawanna, how did/do you decide that these two were hopeless and other possibly OK?

[JFootin]

I'm for lethal injection or hanging. They no longer have a useful purpose in life and can't provide anything beneficial for society. They are a drain on finances and a waste of air, food and space.
It's really sad we have to think this way but let them out and have them kill again and then see who is sad. Better them than a producing member of society.

You know, God's pronouncement, that by man (society) shall a man's life be taken if he is guilty of murder, was spoken to Adam way before any religious beliefs or covenants were established. It was spoken for the good of all mankind on this earth.

[getsome]

This is a very tough question...Yes they are young and I remember being 14 and doing some really stupid things...Granted robbery and homicide wasn't on my mind but the fact is a 14 year old doesn't think like an adult especially if there are no adult role models in their lives...

The crimes these children have committed do have consequences and must be punished BUT we must not forget they are children...Make their sentence 20 years no parole and at least give them a chance to educate themselves and learn there is a better way to live than in prison...

NOW if after release and a second chance given they return to a life of crime THEN lock them away for life and throw away the keys...

IMO the REAL criminals here are the sperm donors and women who continue to download child after child they can't possibly take care of only to make the welfare check at the first of the month bigger so more drugs can be bought...These are the ones that should get locked away to rot so they won't be able to continue to produce more of the same...

If you have a rottweiler, pit bull or other dangerous dog and let it roam the neighborhood and attack or kill someone the courts hold you responsible and will put you in jail...Whats the difference here if you let a 14 year old roam the neighborhood at all hours of the night with a gun and they kill someone why should the 14 year old be the only one to pay the price...It is a difficult question but one that we must decide....

[knkali]

I am soft on this topic but if asked are you willing to put your loved ones in possible harms way if they are possibly not rehabed gives me pause. I think that the potential for rehab is greater than if it were someone older and we really need to review each case individually. IOW maybe look at what they are doing in prison with the opportunities available to them ( if any ) and revisit their case periodically. It is a tough decision.

[Bawanna]

Bawanna, how did/do you decide that these two were hopeless and other possibly OK?

I base that statement only on the atrocity of the crime. I don't know these two, I don't know the facts of the case but obviously they murdered and the jury and judge are convinced they did so. There's something seriously broken.

What I refer to is a similar case that I do have first hand knowlege of. A juvenile 12 or 13 as I recall was burglarizing a place. I knew the kids dad. Police responded and the kid shot a police officer with a 22. Officer was only slightly wounded but wounded none the less and the kid shot at him with a gun.

He was sentenced to Juvenile Hall (similar to the Holiday Inn but with better room service) until he turned 18. I believe he then had some monitoring involved but don't recall all the details.

This kid is broken too, but in my mind the punishment was satisfactory. Nobody died, he was remorseful and just screwed up big time. Now if he was to do something similar, all bets are off. Load the needle.

[Longitude Zero]

For those who would encourage sympathy for this situation you are ignorant of the realities that LEO's see on the street everyday. We have two generations of youngsters that kill another human being as easily as we swat a fly. They are debris and should be burned at the stake.

Nor all juvenile are bad. Not even a majority. It is a minority of juveniles that are sociopaths but they must be eliminated from the body politic without mercy. Recently a dept near mine arrested a 15 year old that has 12 murders hanging on him. Documentable provable murders. He is a hired gun for a Mexican drug cartels.

I deal with them everyday. They are NOT children and do not deserve being coddled. They are in many case subhumanoid monsters. Sadly they did not become that way on their own but hey are the ones who have to pay the piper.

[Bawanna]

I am soft on this topic but if asked are you willing to put your loved ones in possible harms way if they are possibly not rehabed gives me pause. I think that the potential for rehab is greater than if it were someone older and we really need to review each case individually. IOW maybe look at what they are doing in prison with the opportunities available to them ( if any ) and revisit their case periodically. It is a tough decision.

I'm hard on the topic but I agree with you completely. Case by case basis. Periodic reviews.
The sad thing is the people doing the review are subject to whims, good days, bad days and most importantly they are doing it for MONEY.
Lieing and acting are some of the first lessons learned in prison which is another bad thing about prison. Career criminals are going to do everything they can to convince others who may in fact be reformable to be career criminals.
That's one reason they have different levels of incarceration to keep the really bad guys away from the not so bad guys. Great idea that doesn't work. Plus these two in question would be considered really bad so guess where they get to stay.

It's all root cause. Like getsome said, sterilize the moms that spit out babies for money. Dad too if they can figure out who he is.

I better leave this one up to yall, my PC correctness is wearing thin and I already got one new guy here that don't like me. I better go sit in the corner with the pointy hat on.

[TriggerMan]

Thoughts? When you were 14, did you think about things differently than you do now? Could there be a chance for change? Should they have a chance?

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/15/10670418-14-years-old-too-young-for-life-in-prisonI I knew right from wrong long before age 14. I attribute that to two good parents, a parochial school education, and good roles models.

I read in the morning paper that Michigan has 200 Juveniles sentenced as Adults. I was left with the impression that an upcoming Court action would only impact future juvenile killers.

I see nothing the Department of Corrections offers that would rehabilitate anyone. These young men are home schooled by older felons. They may not murder again but are, in my opinion, a high risk for other felonies.

[TheTman]

Of course they're gonna be crying and talking crap about being rehabilitated. I don't believe a word of it. A teenager knows right from wrong, they're just sorry they got caught is all.

[Longitude Zero]

Of course they're gonna be crying and talking crap about being rehabilitated. I don't believe a word of it. A teenager knows right from wrong, they're just sorry they got caught is all.

Precisely.

[chipD]

My family, friends, and the people of this country should not be placed in danger from a possible failed experiment of so called rehab or second chance. Cold blooded killers at 14 when normal teens are thinking about playing and if they have any Little Debbie's at home for a snack. Sorry can't see any fix here for this major malfunction.

[muggsy]

It takes a psychopathic personality to do what these kids did. There is no rehabilitation for a psychopath. They are where they belong, permanently.

[AJBert]

Of course they're gonna be crying and talking crap about being rehabilitated. I don't believe a word of it. A teenager knows right from wrong, they're just sorry they got caught is all.
X2

At 14, I knew the difference between right and wrong, what was acceptable and what was not. I was not close to an angel at that age and got myself in a bit of trouble. I wasn't sorry for what I did but I was sorry I got. The consequences of my actions led me to change my behaviour. That, and my parents! Plus, the judge telling me if he saw me again I'd be sent off to the Texas Youth Council.

However, I NEVER even had the thought of doing physical harm to someone I didn't know, never thought of pointing a gun at someone to rob them, NEVER thought about a bringing a gun to school because someone whupped my @$$. I learned by just getting caught for the stupid KID stuff I did, not committing murder and then deciding that wasn't the right thing to do.

Hell, I busted a kid's eye open on the eyebrow and the cheek bone with one hit. Scared the bejesus out of me as I thought I turned his eyeball to jelly and blinded him. I was 16 at the time. After that, fighting wasn't fun any more.

Live and learn but if you do the crime, pay the time!