Crime, Culpability And The Adolescent Brain By Mary Beckman

The United States has an ever growing crime rate. As violent society is today, no one can possibly be surprised that the topic of capital punishment for adolescents made it up to the highest courts for jurisdiction. Up to the decision that deemed capital punishment for adolescents â€Å"cruel and unusual punishment,† there was much debate as to whether an adolescent could truly be tried as an adult. Because the frontal lobe of an individual’s brain is not fully developed, many scientists claim that an adolescent does not have the capacity to be a culpable criminal. The article â€Å"Crime, Culpability and the Adolescent Brain† by Mary Beckman, written in July of 2004 before the decision of the Supreme Court, discusses briefly the Roper v. Simmons case before delving into the scientific evidence of why an adolescent criminal cannot be on par with an adult criminal due to their brain structure. In turn, it was a composition of why scientists were hoping that the Supreme Court would consider the science behind the adolescent’s brain development before making their decision. The second article was written by David Stout the day that the Supreme Court made their decision, and it specifically discusses the background of the case and how the justices came up with their verdict. While some of the justices agreed with the scientific and psychological view, some also agreed that, logically, certain adolescents do deserve the death penalty if their crimes meet the standards of deserving theShow MoreRelatedControversy Over The Death Penalty21 47 Words   |  9 Pageslegally convicted of a capital crime. This is the only punishment that leaves room for no mistakes. The death penalty system buries its worst mistakes. Although the opponents of capital punishment believe it to be immortal, advocates of capital punishment have proven it to be effective and ethically correct. The death penalty should be enforced on those who have been convicted for such a heinous crime; it is the ultimate penalty for one who has committed the ultimate crime. The death penalty was