A central principle under which the U.S. criminal justice system holds people accountable is the capacity to decipher right from wrong and to understand the consequences of one’s actions. Adolescents are in-between—not adults, not children. They certainly understand right and wrong, but their cognitive capacity is not as developed, nor their reasoning as sophisticated, as adults. However, over the years, many courts have tried teens as adults or enacted long sentences for more serious crimes. Is this practice fair and just based on what we now know about the teenage brain? What criminal responsibility do adolescents have?

For this Assignment, you take a position on the issue of trying teens as adults, in light of neuroscience and development.

Submit a 1-page letter to your fellow coalition members in which you:
Describe development during adolescence, in terms of the brain, learning, and reward and consequence.
Apply this information to the topic of teens and crime. Make an argument about whether teens should be tried as adults for serious crimes, based on what is going on developmentally at that stage
Apply this information to the topic of teens and crime. Make an argument about whether teens should be tried as adults for serious crimes, based on what is going on developmentally at that stage.