of two years in physciatric juvenile detention facility. If tried as an adult, this young man would have received 20 to 35 years maximum sentence in a state penitentiary without bail. Maybe this sixteen year old should have gotten more than two years but he came out a man from the detention facility (Wadsworth 11). He matured and learned to be himself, not wht other people wanted him to be. Rehabilitation programs are one alternative that has proven successful and helpful (Age 61). An example of a success story was Trina Leas of Peoria, Illinois. Trina was only 13 years old when she brutally shot and killed her classmate in the middle of class. Trina subsequently attended a local camp for troubled youth called "Peoria's Camp Neighborhood" and was totally changed. Now Trina lives a life free of crime and works in Peoria to help counsel youth (Age 64). Another success story from Wichita, Kansas concerns an eleven-year-old boy named Iman Reed. Young Iman had been hanging out on the streets and was a prime target for a revenge shooting. Out of fear for her son's life, Iman's mother enrolled him in the "Big Brother Program." This program paired Iman with a big brother, and now five years later, he has all A's and B's and has his sights set on a law degree. Iman is no longer involved with any street activities and encourages others to stay away. When asked about the program, Iman said, "If it was not for the program, I would still be in one of those gangs, or dead (Sheldon)." Juveniles should not be tried as adults because serving time in jail will more likely lead to greater conflicts. An example of this was "Sneakers," a Milwaukee gang member. Sneakers was seventeen years old and had been tried as an adult on two counts of larceny; each jail sentence was nine months in a security prison. Each time Sneakers got out of jail he returned to the streets, and was still involved in crime and gangs (Roberta). All that time in jail only helped him t...
