It is wrong to hold children and adolescents who have not reached legal age to adult standards. In other areas of law we recognize the differences between children and adults. Children are not permitted the same rights and responsibilities as adults (e.g. voting, smoking, joining the military) because we recognize their inability to make adult decisions. Why don't we recognize the same difference in the criminal law? We don't say, "this is a very important election, so let's let the kids vote". We don't say, "this is a very important war so let's give our children weapons and send them to fight". So why do we say "this case is different and this kid deserves to be treated as an adult and locked away in a prison"?