Death Penalty for Juveniles--A Pro Stance
The thesis of this research paper is that the death penalty should be applied to juvenile offenders who commit murder at age 16 and, in appropriate cases, at even younger ages. The basis for this position is the inherent right of American society to protect itself against the savage youth in its midst which is responsible for the rise of violent juvenile crime in America.
1. Permitting prosecutors and juries to consider imposing the death penalty on juvenile offenders who commit heinous crimes such as murder and rape is neither immoral nor illegal.
Facts. In the United States, a person younger than 18 who commits a crime is considered to be a juvenile offender. Thirty-nine states now allow the death penalty to be applied to some crimes. Eleven others and the District of Columbia prohibit the use of the death penalty (Pennington 35; Nguyen 401). Of the states that permit capital punishment, 10 set a minimum age of 18; seven set minimum age limits between 16 and 17; and another 18 set no age limit at all (Nguyen 402-403; Rosenburg 57). States which have executed juveniles during the past decade or have them on death row include Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas (Nguyen 403).
In the United States, the death penalty has been imposed sparingly to juveniles. Since 1642, 281 teenagers have been executed there (Skovron, Scott & Culler 547). In the 20th century, executions of persons younger than 16 have been rare. Since capital punishment became constitutional again in 1976, only seven persons younger than 18, all convicted murderers, have been executed (Nguyen 403-404; Clary A20). In 1995, 42 juveniles were on death row (Rosenburg 57). Almost all of the juveniles executed in recent years have committed especially shocking murders, such as a 17-year-old found guilty in Arkansas of raping, robbing and killing an 85-year-old wo...