Image by The Visual Burn via Flickr

Teens charged as adults is a sensitive topic.  On the one side, they are kids and not mature enough to make decisions that will effect them for the rest of their lives.  On the other hand, repeat teen offenders should receive more than a slap on the wrist.  Many of them commit crimes because the punishment for getting caught isn’t severe.

In the first article below the teen should be put away for a long time, but what programs are in place to help the kids understand what they have done and change them so if and when they are released they are strong enough to make new friends or avoid breaking the law again.  If they can’t leave the conditions they were in prior to their arrest what chance do they have of benefiting society.

Teen Faces Charges As Adult In Stabbing

LAKELAND, Fla. — A Central Florida teenager accused of stabbing a Lakeland man 43 times during a home invasion will be charged as an adult.

The 14-year-old boy was booked into the Polk County Jail on charges of attempted felony murder, burglary and robbery with a deadly weapon on Tuesday. The teen is not being identified by The Associated Press because of his age.   –more

Huge jump in teens charged as adults

As 2009 draws to a close, the King County Prosecutor’s Office has reported a big increase in the number of teens facing charges in adult court for violent crimes.

Since the first of the year, according to statistics released earlier this week, prosecutors have filed adult charges against 62 teens aged 16 or 17 accused of violent crimes. Under state law, teens of that age are automatically charged as adults when accused of violent crimes.  –more

Related teens charged as adults articles

• Teen charged as adult in clothes-dryer slaying of boy, 4 (cnn.com)
• Teens Charged As Adults In Richmond HS Gang Rape (sfist.com)
• Teen charged as adult in after-school robbery (seattlepi.com)
• Classmates Honor Melody Ross; Her Teen Killers Charged as Adults (laist.com)