Group Article: "They Went to Prison as Kids. Now They’re on Death Row."

Article link: They Went to Prison as Kids. Now They’re on Death Row.


I think this article says a lot about nature v.s. nurture. Prosecutors like to say that these juveniles are "inherently evil" in order to justify incarcerating them when in reality they're this way because they were made this way by their environment. So many of these kids were initially raised in abusive or unfit households, forcing them into a life of crime in order to fulfill their basic needs. Then when they inevitably get thrown in prison, they leave even worse than they entered because they had to endure incredibly violent conditions while in prison. It's no wonder why these people are the way they are and it's really not even their fault.

I'm a firm believer that many criminals deserve rehabilitation and a second chance at life. I also believe that if they had received this rehabilitation at a younger age then they would've avoided a lot more of the strife that they would've eventually endured. But reading about how these juvenile institutions created to rehabilitated child criminals keep on becoming so violent and abusive makes me feel so discouraged. How are we supposed to rehabilitate these kids if it always goes downhill?

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