Most children, with very few exceptions, are a product of the environment in which they are raised. As a law practitioner and a parent, I have a very definitive opinion about trying minors as adults. Our laws in the US have always been clear that minors must be treated differently in the legal system as well as that parents or guardians are the ones responsible for the actions of those in their care. We comprehend this as a society when it comes to things like stealing or unacceptable behavior in school where we hold the parents accountable for repayment or additional structure. But when it comes to murder we have trouble imagining a parent behind bars for the actions of their children. However, that is what the law expects. Were this being implemented, society would look very different with people giving much more thought to how they parent and even whether to become parents.
Instead, we witnessed a different kind of crime where courts began allowing minors to be tried as adults, which ignores the well known premise that kids lack the proper maturity to comprehend the significance of their actions. The narrative-pushers convinced the courts and the public that parents were mere victims amidst their own lack of parenting so they didn't have to take responsibility for not only the missing attention but the massive influx of dangerous input from Internet and violent games, as if what we allow in our homes in the name of free marketing isn't our responsibility.
Did those parents ruin their children and then allow the courts to toss them into a garbage bin? Yes, perhaps. But it amounts to those who are actually responsible not being held accountable.
As a victim of childhood abuse who had the opportunity to counsel many other victims, I know that trauma rarely equals criminal actions. Not all criminals have a history of victimization.
This series is a lens on minors who were victims of the illegal process but it also shows how each case is decided individually, at times allowing the accused a new sentencing while demonstrating that someone with a penchant for violence will not be so lucky. The producers do an acceptable job of trying to give a fair perspective of each person involved. It's main downfall is the plethora of text that delivers pertinent information periodically without any audible queue.
The bigger crime here is that this illegal process took so long for the Supreme Court to get involved and that there's still so little focus on how these criminals are raised.
In season 1, the 9th episode wraps up some of those that were left open-ended.
It should be mentioned that, contrary to popular opinion and some worthwhile programs, prison is not intended as a forum for rehabilitation although judges will often take into consideration whether a person has changed and especially whether they show any remorse.
Prison is also not intended as a deterrent, although it may prove useful to prevent some would-be criminals.
Prison is a place where people go who commit acts which make them a danger to society, plain and simple. It's a barrier created to separate those who live within the rules of society from those who don't.
