November 09, 2009
Juvenile Justice Reform: Supreme Court Hears Juvenile Life Without Parole Cases Today
Juvenile Justice Reform: Supreme Court Hears Juvenile Life Without Parole Cases Today
Background on the Juvenile Life Without Parole Cases
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing appeals on two cases where teens were sentenced to life without parole for non-homicidal crimes.
The court's decision has the potential to significantly curtail the use of "life without parole" sentences for teens, especially in cases where no one is killed. Youth Today has very thorough coverage, including links to lots of editorials on the topics, and you can find a piece from The Atlantic, "Kids Locked Up for Life."
Related Resources from Our Blog
Check out this moving video testimony from a 29-year-old (see screenshot at right) who, as a teen, killed her pimp, and then was sentenced to life without parole.
- A report from The Heritage Foundation, which supports use of life without parole for juveniles, stimulated a great editorial from Change.org's Criminal Justice blog. (See fifth bullet for link.)
- News from earlier this year: Texas banned juvenile life without parole, and as of July, California was also considering the same. in July (see final bullet for links).
What Do You Think?
Is it ever appropriate to sentence teens to life without parole? Any thoughts on why the United States seems to use the sentence far more than other countries? Leave a comment!
I do not believe that sentencing an adolescent to life without parole is appropriate, especially to young adolescents or children. There is research and evidence that confirms that these children's brains are not fully developed and do not fully mature until their early 20's. Also, the juvenile justice system was originally created to rehabilitate these kids. Our focus should be on rehabilitating them.
Thanks for stopping by - speaking personally, I agree with you. The evidence on adolescent brain development certainly seems to corroborate your view. Yet relying too heavily on brain science may be harmful, too, as Alexandra Cox pointed out in an article we linked to recently.
The point she made that I found most apt was this: relying too much on "hard" science ignores the ways in which social environment impacts a teen's development. As she wrote, "...[Y]oung people's pathways out of punishment rely on the development of social capital -- relationships, networks, and opportunities -- as much as they do on the development of their human capacities."