http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-juvenile-without-parole-20120323,0,4213885.story
Seven years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that offenders younger than 18 couldn't be sentenced to death, arguing that juveniles are generally less culpable than adults because they are less mature, more impulsive and more susceptible to peer pressure. By the same logic, the court should hold that sentencing young murderers to life without parole is cruel and unusual punishment. Some cases that support this argument are those of 14 year old Evan Miller and Kuntrell Jackson. Miller was sentenced to life without parole for being pressured to attack and rob a neighbor and set fire to his house with an older friend, causing the victim's death.Meanwhile, Jackson and two older friends tried to rob a video store and a clerk was shot to death. Even though he didn't pull the trigger and was unaware of his friends being armed, Jackson convicted of a felony murder and sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole.
I believe that sentencing a child as young as 14 to prison for life without any chance of parole is becoming close to cruel and unusual punishment. There is such a fine line between ruling a case of a juvenile as an adult. Teens have scientifically been proven to show that they are more likely to act out on impulse more that that of a person in their older ages. Teen are also more susceptible to peer pressure and immaturity. Currently there are over 2,000 people in prison who were sentenced as children to life with out parole. a significant amount of those inmates have become completely different people and in my opinion deserve a right to a free life for something that they did on impulse as a child.
I agree - straight science. What, your like 24 or 26 before the lobe that controls impulse and enables one to think about consequences prior to action fully develops. It will be interesting to see how the court rules on this.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree as well, I don't think a 14 year old kid can be held responsible as an adult for actions he has done. Now I'm not saying he should go unpunished but life in prison is not exceptible. I look forward to hearing more on your subject.
ReplyDeletei also agree you cant look at someones wrong actions as a child and assume that their going to be the same person when the grow up and mature. i feel that for a 14yr. old its very cruel, and i feel that when children that young are getting in trouble that i was out of peer pressure, or that their simply testing the waters.
ReplyDeleteI am rather split on this issue. Yes, I believe that sending a teenager to prison for life without the possibility of parole before his brain has a chance to develop is wrong, but what about teenage offenders we identify that have disorders such as Anti Social Personality Disorder or other disorders that we cannot treat? If we cannot treat a murderer and we know that he will murder without remorse again, wouldn't it be smart to keep him off the street despite his age?
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