Others emphasize that teenagers are still developing emotionally and neurologically and may have a greater capacity for rehabilitation and change than adults.
The Question of Rehabilitation
Juvenile justice has long involved a difficult balance between accountability and rehabilitation.
A young person who commits a serious offense can cause devastating and permanent harm. Victims and their families may live with the consequences for decades.
At the same time, an adolescent sentenced to an extraordinarily long prison term could spend most or even all of adulthood behind bars.
That creates an important question: should the justice system leave meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation and review, even in extremely serious cases?
Be Careful With Viral Headlines
The phrase “Teen Girl Sentenced to 86 Years in Prison” is compelling, but the social-media versions currently circulating leave out essential information.
Readers should look for the defendant’s name, location, court records, charges, date of sentencing and credible reporting from established news organizations before accepting the story as fact.
