Crime: Punishment & Prevention

Issues to Consider

• What is the appropriate age for a juvenile to be tried in an adult criminal court, and should the seriousness of the juvenile's offense also be a determining factor?  Offenses are broken down into three categories: violent (described above), non-violent, and status (offenses such as truancy and underage drinking that are only crimes because of the offender's age).
• What is the appropriate role of the federal government in the juvenile crime debate? Is the federal government in a better position to make decisions about whether to try juvenile offenders in juvenile or criminal court, or is this a matter best left to the states? 
• To whom should you listen when deciding how to vote? Who are the people impacted by your vote, and what is the overall impact on the state you represent?
• Think about how you would explain your vote to the many people who have contacted you about this matter. You can't please everyone, so you will need to come up with a well-reasoned justification. To do so, think about the trade-offs—what are the negative outcomes of voting one way or the other?
• What are some of the other factors that influence a senator's decision on legislation such as this?  Are there factors that we haven't considered in this scenario?

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