im kind of torn on this one, it depends on the act.If it was cold blooded murder, they may turn around and do it again.

Unless they've proven that they're incapable of being rehabilitated, I'd say no.

this split really surprised me i thought it would be all no, maybe thats just the society I live in. I personally think that 15 yr. olds' brains are still developing and stupid things seem rationally. there is also the mob mentality which I believe perticularly effects teenagers.

Wow, what and even split. For myself, I do believe that there may be crimes heinous enough to warrant sentencing a youth to life in prison. I hate to believe it, but I am convinced that there are some people whose codes are dangerous and out-of-line with society, and these individuals need to be sequestered for the protection of everyone else.

No, in the case of the 15-year-old here in MO that murdered the 9-year-old, she claimed she did it because she "wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone". I believe she should be tried as an adult. There is also evidence that it was premeditated because she dug two graves prior to the murder (maybe she was going to kill someone else?). Sick.

By a certain age a child certainly knows right from wrong, I wouldn't have murdered or raped someone when i was 13 and I wouldn't do it now. This wasn't from some mental breakthrough when i became 16 years old.

Kids shouldn't really go to jail...they can't do the worst things ever. They should be given a secound chance rather than to be stuck in jail. A punishment this hard is nonsense to me. They still don't understand.

when the jail system is a for profit type system then hell no throwing kids in jail is not a good thing. They want them their to keep the cash rolling in.

sounds expensive to raise people from children to death in jail. Surely we can come up with something better.

Nikolas,
"Note that money is always behind our problems."

That is so misguided. Most young teenagers don't torture and murder for money.

Look at the 15 year old girl who was just arrested for murdering a 9 year old girl. Her favorite hobbies are cutting and killing.

The Chicago gang of kids kicked, punched and beat a 16 year old honor student to death because he wouldn't join a gang.

Regardless of the cause, this behavior cannot be excused. I don't know if any of these kids belong in prison for life, but they don't belong in society.

When they become mature adults, maybe we can give them another chance, but not while they are immature children.