This report examines the plight of pre-adolescent children-primarily those who are 12 and under-who are caught up in the adult criminal justice system. The authors state "Whatever policy-makers may think about treating older teen offenders as adults, we hope that our research demonstrates that pre-adolescents present an entirely different set of challenges. Young children are still developing their brains and personalities and are capable of rehabilitation, yet they are often denied that redemptive possibility due to the imposition of lengthy mandatory sentences.