No prison for juvenile crimeStudents are shooting up schools across the country. Twelve and thirteen year old boys are convicted of killing their peers. Right here in Hanover, two teenagers have been charged with the murder of Dartmouth professors. While juvenile crime across the country may not be on the rise, murders by juveniles that have made headlines and headlines certainly are. to adult prison. But is it really right to send children to a penal system like ours, which ignores rehabilitation and focuses almost exclusively on punishment? Is it right to essentially give up on these children at such a young age? Is this aggressive prosecutorial tactic in the best interests of the juvenile defendant or the community as a whole? No. Most studies and statistics suggest that sending juveniles to adult prisons increases recidivism rates among transferred adolescents. Jeffrey Fagan, who led an extens... middle of paper... Responsibility must be instilled in these kids and punishment must be administered, but condemning children to hard times is hardly justice. When kids perpetrate violence they must be punished, but these kids also deserve a second chance, and this country has the means to support that second chance. No 12-year-old should spend the rest of their life in prison; no 13-year-old should spend time in an adult prison; and no 14-year-old should be denied a reasonable chance to turn their life around. This country must strive for something better.