In a 5-to-4 decision last week, the United States Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles convicted of capital crimes is “cruel and unusual punishment”. The Republic reports on its web page: “The ruling undercuts laws in 28 states, and in the federal government, which impose mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles as well as adults convicted of certain forms of murder”.
There are currently 28-hundred individuals serving life-without-parole for murders committed when they were under 18.
The majority on the court wrote “… a sentencer misses too much if he treats every child as an adult”. But the conservative minority warned that the public could be at greater risk without the mandatory sentences.
When I was a teen I did some stupid things that could easily have resulted in life-long difficulties. Individual maturity is relative.
Apparently, the Supreme Court decided that one size does not necessarily fit all.
.jpg)