Minors in adult jails
... Each state has the ability to make its own laws when it comes to sentencing minors to prison time. ... Forty-Six states have given juvenile court judges the discretion to waive jurisdiction in individual cases involving minors (Griffin). This action was taken to allow prosecution in adult courts. ... In all states where discretionary waivers are authorized there must be hearings, and pre-hearings held to see whether or not a particular juvenile should be charged as an adult (Griffin). ... There is great controversy over prosecuting minors as adults. Some people feel that the crimes that minors commit should be punishable by prison time. ... There is also controversy over the fact that when minors are charged as adults, there is no cut off age to where children are stopped from being sent to prison. ... Human Rights Watch visited five jails in Maryland and found staff not trained to handle juveniles and minors not getting enough education or recreation (Bochenek). Adult prisons are no place for minors to be when being rehabilitated. Minors lose a sense of innocence is lost, along with their childhood. ... When dealing with minors, decision-making needs to be thought out and the child’s best interest needs to be taken into consideration.