A little partiality may be the only means for addressing the variable nature of juvenile violence. Our judicial system is one built upon reason. Thankfully, we have moved to a system where a neutral entity, the judicial branch, administers justice. It is a system of deterrence, which implicitly assumes rational behavior. We establish rules by which we can live together so as to guarantee equality of freedom.
Laws are at one and the same time a reflection of our morality and a contract among citizens.
Further, crimes and the punishments for them are generally established with reason in mind. Punishments are designed to fit crimes, because we realize that citizens constantly make decisions about their behavior. Action and consequence reside in the forefront of our minds. And while murder seems more often than not an emotional act rather than a rational one, most adults know, at least in an abstract sense, that murder is a profoundly wrongful act. Conceptually, we can imagine things like 15 to 20 years, life without parole, waking up everyday in a tiny, cement room.