Teens Are Teens, Adults Are Adults

In Gail Garinger's article "Juveniles Don't Deserve Life Sentences", it is noted that teenagers are not as biologically equal to adults. There has been brain imaging studies that show that in a teenage brain,  regions that are used to control actions, thoughts, and emotions are not fully developed. From my perspective, if a teen is not equal mentally to an adult, why should be classified as an adult when it comes to charges. I think teens should not receive the same punishments adults receive because they aren't equal. An adult is developed and experienced enough to know what the difference is from right and wrong. Teens still have to go through that growing stage to fully understand the emotions they feel, and the choices they make. So to classify a teen as an adult when it comes to jail sentences is totally unfair. Also, if a teen is treated as an adult when it comes to jail sentences, then they should be classified as adults period. Why should teenagers have to go through the same punishment an adult goes through, if they are not treated like adults in the outside world? If that is the case, teens should be able to do everything an adult could do and not be punished for it. I mean, if teens are getting adult benefits when it comes to jail sentences, they should be receiving adult punishments period, right?

Marjie Lundstorm explains in the article "Kids Are Kids-Until They Commit Crimes" that there has been numerous accounts of teenagers who commit horrendous crimes. While investigating the cause of these crimes, a lot of the answers seem to be similar. Many of these young adults commit a crime because they seen it on TV, and wonder how it would be in real life. This just proves many of the crimes these people are committing are because they do not have the mental capability to figure out whether they are doing something right or wrong. They are not fully developed yet to know the difference between right and wrong. 

Kids, and teenagers are treated as kids to the outside world. These people are the same people who need permission from their parents/guardians to make choices for them. How does it seem that these people are looked at, and are treated differently, but when crime comes into the question they are looked at and treated as adults. If teens are receiving punishments that adults are receiving, they should be receiving benefits adults are receiving in the outside world. Just as Marjie Lundstorm stated, if this is the case, allow teens to vote. Allow teens to do things on their own, and allow these teenagers to be looked at as adults. If that is not the case, teens should not be given sentences an adult is given.