related article
Supreme Court to consider juvenile life sentences
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether it is a violation of the Constitution to sentence a juvenile to life in prison until they die. Human Rights Watch says the US is the only country in the world that still imposes sentences of life without parole on juveniles. Today, more than 2,500 people are serving sentences of life without parole in the US for crimes they committed before they turned 18. 263 of them are incarcerated in California.
the most...
Local Music
Duo RiveradoSpecial Reports
facebook
twitterCopyright © 2010 KALW News | Contact | Feedback | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Donate | Powered by RadioEngage
Responses (5)
This is a powerful story. Thank you Nancy for given a voice to so many "children" who have been warehoused in our prisons and forgotten, left without hope...never given the opportunity to grow up, reform, learn, or make a dignified and useful contribution to their families, their neighborhoods, and the society they seek redemption in and forgiveness from.
Your willingness to listen to their stories, describe their lives, give a face to their struggle, and advocate for their right to be heard, is humbling. Thank you. I am "encouraged" by this story to do more.
The Bay Area may soon be witnessing high-profile cases of juveniles being sentenced as adults as the Richmond High School gang rape case goes to trial. Three of the people charged so far are juveniles. If they are found guilty, then the sentencing decisions, and how they will be received by the public, will be major signifiers for the question of juvenile sentencing.
Important story... life is unfair. There is no place for blanket sentencing in a just system.
This makes sense. We've all heard of adult criminals using those under 18 as accomplices, because the punishment for someone who is 17 years and 9 months old is less than for someone doing the same thing who is 18 years and two months old.
What was the crime? What are the circumstances? What's the context? These questions would seem to be easily as valid as the age of the person. Or am I being naive?
The simple answer is NO. Parole is already a high bar for prisoners to clear, and to preemptively deny a minor the chance to ever be released on parole presents grave problems for families, prisons, and courts.