On Monday, as report in the LA Times, the court determined that it would hear a related case-whether juveniles convicted of killing someone can be locked up without the possibility of parole.
The two cases that will decide this issue deal with two men who were sentenced to life without parole for killings committed when they were 14 years old.
In deciding the 2010 case, the court noted that a youth does not share the same amount of culpability for crimes as an adult due to their impulsive nature and a less developed capacity for evaluating consequences.
Let's hope they will reconsider the intelligence of locking up kids for life even those who have committed murder. A horrible crime? Yes. Punishment deserved? Yes. But life in prison? I don't think so.
ReplyDeleteWorking with inmates have given me the opportunity to work with some who have been locked up for murder as juveniles. Some would be able to be released and live as contributing members of society after finishing a lesser sentence than life in prison.