This week, Townhall reported how one blue state is experiencing a surge in juveniles committing “severe and brazen” crimes, such as homicide, auto thefts, gun possession, assault and robbery. In many areas across the country, like Washington, D.C., these crimes committed by juveniles do not get taken seriously.
A new poll published this week found that Americans are divided when it comes to how violent juvenile offenders should be treated.
The Gallup poll released Monday found that 46 percent of adults believe that teenagers who commit violent crimes should be treated the same as adults. Forty-seven percent of respondents said that teens should receive lenient treatment.
In 2000, 65 percent of respondents said that juveniles aged 14 to 17 who commit crimes should be treated the same as adult criminals. In 2003, this figure was 59 percent.
Americans Are Now Divided on How Violent Juvenile Criminals Should Be Treated by the Criminal Justice System
— Opinion Today (@OpinionToday) December 5, 2023
(Jeffrey M. Jones, Gallup)
More, via Opinion Today:https://t.co/1kLYotwy1i pic.twitter.com/mGNudbzxZs
Gallup noted that this issue is becoming more relevant due to several school shooters who were under the age of 18 when they committed murder (via Gallup):
On Dec. 8, Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 years old in November 2021 when he killed four classmates and injured seven others at Oxford High School in Michigan, will be sentenced after pleading guilty in those deaths. He is being charged as an adult, as have many other school shooters. In September, a Texas youth tried as a juvenile was sentenced to four decades in prison, the maximum allowed, for killing a classmate.
Americans are more likely today than in 2000 to believe juveniles who commit violent crimes should receive more lenient treatment in juvenile court (47% vs. 24%) and less likely now to favor treating them the same as adults (46% vs. 65%).
The poll, conducted Oct. 2 through 23, found that the opinions of Democrats has changed over the past two decades than Republican and older adults (via Gallup):
In fact, in 2000, the various political party and age subgroups generally held similar views, with between 60% and 68% of each believing juveniles should be treated the same as adults.
As Townhall noted, Juveniles in Minnesota are increasingly committing more “severe and brazen” crimes, including homicide, the Star Tribune reported this week. In addition, “juveniles charged with homicide have more than doubled since 2021 compared with the three years prior.”