When Kids Get Life
When kids get, life refers to a video released by Frontline featuring how the lives of more than 2000 teenagers are served with a life sentence in the whole of America. The inmates are accused of different crimes while in their teenage lives, some of which have tried to defend their crimes in the courts by stating that it was not their wish to commit such crimes, but different situations lured them into taking that direction (Bikel). Besides, after the life sentence is issued, the inmates are not offered any option of parole but are expected to remain in prison until death as speculated by the American courts. American courts should find better ways of punishing teenage inmates rather than serving them with life sentences for at an early age they are not aware of the negativities of their crimes.
Jacob Ind is one of the many inmates served with a life sentence at an early age, 15 years a case that happened in 1992. The inmate, Jacob Ind, killed his stepfather, Kermode, and his mother Pamela, a situation that was reported to the school principal by his classmate. After Jacob Ind had been summoned into the court, his brother Charles was interrogated by the police in which he was in full support of his brother, Jacob Ind. Charles enlightened the court that Jacob Ind was acting on his defense as the parents have abused them for a couple of years (Bikel). Starting with his father, Charles stated that he would sneak to their backs and throw them into the bathroom where he would abuse them even sexually. Besides, when Jacob Ind was interrogated by a journalist, from Frontline, he said that he regrets his parent’s death as he did not wish to take away their lives permanently, and he says “I did not grasp the permanency of their deaths.”
In my case, Jacob Ind should not have been issued with a life sentence despite killing his parents; instead, the courts should have taken him to rehabilitation to recover from drug abuse. The motive behind this fact is that Jacob Ind states that he had marijuana in his bedroom, which at some point, he even forced his brother to take part in it. Then again, the courts should have considered the kind of environment Jacob Ind and his brother were raised in by their parents. As Jacob Ind states that, his mother’s humiliation was severe than his stepfather’s abuse by saying that “I mean there’s a point she made it absolutely clear that she hated me, basically. And like a child that is more hurtful than getting hit across the face or getting beaten.” The same applies to Gabriel Adams, a teenager who botched the killing scenario of Jacob’s parents (Bikel). The courts should have taken him into rehabilitation and try to guide him to understand the side effects of carrying out crimes rather than convicting him for a life sentence.
Conclusion
Indeed, American courts should find better ways of punishing teenage inmates rather than serving them with life sentences for at an early age they are not aware of the negativities of their crimes. As illustrated, the American courts should consider the depth of a crime committed by Jacob and his classmate Gabriel and enroll them into rehabilitation for guidance other than serving then with a life sentence.