1. part a: which statement identifies the central idea of the text?
a. juvenile offenders who are sent to adult prisons have a harder time reentering society than their fellow adult prisoners.
b. juvenile offenders shouldn’t be held accountable for their criminal actions, as it has been proven that their brains aren’t fully developed.
c. while some people support harsher punishment for juvenile offenders, research and personal stories show how rehabilitation can benefit young people.
d. the risk of rehabilitating rather than punishing juvenile offenders is too high, as they might return to crime after their release from prison.

2. part b: which quote from the text best supports the answers to part b?
a. “‘i couldn’t believe what happened so quickly,’ schultz says. ‘i’m sitting in this jail with a bunch of grown men thinking: how did i get here? how did this happen? ’” (paragraph 3)
b. “and by 2000, juveniles were regularly being sent into adult systems for crimes ranging from drug possession to murder, further stressing overcrowded prisons.” (paragraph 14)
c. “‘if we put kids in situations where there’s mentors, where there’s love and
support, they can turn their lives around,’ he says. ‘i’m proof of that.’” (paragraph
23)
d. “‘when people are incarcerated, they aren’t out in the street ransacking your
home or slashing children to death,’ he says.” (paragraph 32)

3. how do paragraphs 25-32 contribute to our understanding of the controversy surrounding juvenile justice?
a. they explain the actions and opinions of people who are against the idea of
rehabilitating juvenile criminals rather than punishing them.
b. they provide proof that it’s too dangerous to rehabilitate criminals, as they’re
likely to return to crime.
c. they show how groups against rehabilitating criminals have control over the
juvenile justice system in a majority of states.
d. they provide evidence that criminals who spend more time in prison are less likely to commit crimes when released.

4. how does the author’s discussion of specific juvenile offenders contribute to our understanding of the juvenile justice system?
a. it emphasizes how the juvenile offenders were put in situations in which they had no choice but to commit a crime.
b. it stresses that the juveniles committed minor crimes, showing how harshly the juvenile justice system works.
c. it shows the mental and emotional abuse that juvenile offenders suffered in adult prisons and their inability to work towards rehabilitation.
d. it shows how juvenile offenders benefitted from the classes and mentoring they received while incarcerated.