Essay on Life Without Parole for Juveniles - 956 Words

Supreme Court ruling Graham v. Florida (2010) banned the use of life without parole for juveniles who committed non-homicide crimes, and Roper v. Simmons (2005) abolished the use of the death penalty for juvenile offenders. They both argued that these sentences violated the 8th Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. While these landmark cases made great strides for the rights of minors passing through the criminal justice system, they are just the first steps in creating a juvenile justice system that takes into consideration the vast differences between adolescents and adults. Using sociological (Butler, 2010) and legal (Harvard Law Review, 2010) documents, this essay will explicate why the next such step to be taken is†¦show more content†¦He immediately goes on cite the Convention Against Torture’s suggestion that JLWOP sentences are â€Å"cruel, unusual, or degrading treatment† (p. 274). Butler also points out that â€Å"it is notoriously difficult to predict future dangerousness, especially based on a homicide committed by a teen† (p. 276). This point is one of the strongest arguments against JLWOP. It is commonly accepted that the brains and bodies of adolescents are not fully developed. As a result of this, it does not make sense for a child or teen to be treated the same way as an adult- in everyday life, minors are not expected to work full time jobs, and they cannot serve in the military, consume alcohol, or smoke tobacco products. Butler argues that the lack of responsibility attributed to them should extend to the criminal justice system, and they should be considered less culpable of their crimes due to their youth and all of its implications. Taking into consideration this lack of culpability for minors, the reasoning behind the ruling of Graham v. Florida can easily be applied to the elimination of the JLWOP sentence in its entirety. Harvard Law Review’s 2010 â€Å"Criminal Law and Procedure -Eighth Amendment-€ Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentences: Graham v. Florida† is a detailed review of the Graham v. Florida case. It goes in-depth about why the justices ruled against JLWOP in non-homicide cases. Unfortunately forShow MoreRelatedLife Without Parole For Juveniles2068 Words   |  9 PagesLife Without Parole for Juveniles On December 17, 1992, 15 year-old Jacob Ind went to school after having murdered his mother and stepfather in the early hours of that morning. In an interview with Frontline he recalled, â€Å"I remember I was sitting in the police station and this is how out of touch of reality I was. I had a small amount of marijuana, like an eighth of an ounce, in my bedroom. And I m telling my brother, You got to get the marijuana or else I m in trouble† (Profile Jacob Ind).Read MoreA Research Study On Juvenile Life Without Parole1048 Words   |  5 Pageson a National Institute of Justice study as a Doctoral Research Assistant. Her focus is corrections, juvenile justice, and legal analyses in criminal justice (S.H.S University). In her article, â€Å"Juvenile Life Without Parole,† Spooner addresses the punishment of Juvenile life without parole and questions its constitutionality. She begins with raw numbers, including which states have the most juvenile serving LWOP. Further discussed are the facts that 98% of JLWOP inmates are male, and that black youthRead MoreEssay about Juvenile Life Without Parole, Cruel or Just Unusual?3438 Words   |  14 PagesJuveniles Sentenced to Life without Parole Cruel or Just Unusual? [pic] Juvenile Sentencing: Life without Parole, Cruel or Just Unusual? When the Judge announced the verdict â€Å"Guilty† there was a slight murmur in the court room as was expected. Then the Judge began to announce the sentence â€Å"Life in prison without the possibility of parole†, the words cutting through the air like an arrow through a paper target. The courtroom was an arena of mixed feelings, half cheering in a celebratoryRead MoreMiller V. Alabama1421 Words   |  6 PagesCourt weighed in on the constitutionality of life without parole for juvenile offenders. The case was Miller v. Alabama and actually included another case, Jackson v Hobbs, as well (2012). Both were criminal cases involving 14 year old boys who were convicted of murder and sentenced to a mandatory sentence of life without parole (2012). In 2009, juvenile courts in the United States handled an estimated 1.5 million delinquency cases that involved juveniles charged with criminal law violations (KnollRead MoreMiller vs Alabama1270 Words   |  6 Pagesof mandator y life sentences without parole enforced upon persons aged fourteen and younger found guilty of homicide. The court declared unconstitutional a compulsory sentence of life without parole for children. The states have been barred from routinely imposing sentences based on the crime committed. There is a requirement for individual consideration of the child life circumstance or the defendant status as a child. The court rejected the definite ban on life sentences without parole. This is becauseRead MoreJuvenile Justice : Juvenile Crime1035 Words   |  5 PagesStephani Portillo Honors English 10b Branson,6 May 19,2017 Juvenile Justice As juvenile crime increases over the years due to gang activity, bullying, etc. many offenders are given a life sentence without parole. There isn t a clear boundary that marks at what age should they be treated as adults because the severity of their action always effects that. Should a 6-year-old be convicted with life in prison or should they let them go? Is a 16-year-old enough to be charged with murder like an adultRead MoreThe Death Penalty For Juveniles1169 Words   |  5 PagesResearch Paper: Death Penalty for Juveniles Capital punishment for juveniles is one of the most controversial topics to ever be explored in society and in the criminal justice system. The death penalty is a rare occurrence amongst juveniles since it is so arguable as to whether they should be tried as adults. Lynn Cothern from the Juvenile Justice Resource Center suggests that â€Å"the primary purpose of the juvenile justice system is to hold juvenile offenders accountable for delinquent acts whileRead MoreContriction Of The Documentary : Second Chance Kids Reflection754 Words   |  4 Pagesamount of juveniles sentenced to life in prison without parole. The statistics throughout the documentary were shocking. For example, across the country, there are more than two thousand people convicted of murder as juveniles and sentenced to mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole (Dornstein, 2017). My Thoughts Anthony Rolon was one out of roughly three dozen teens in Massachusetts to be convicted of murder and sentenced to mandatory life in prison without parole during theRead MoreJuveniles Should Not Receive Life Sentences1199 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract All juveniles should not receive life sentences for felony crimes committed one time. Every year in the US, children as young as 13 years of age are sentenced to spend the rest of their years of life in prison; sometimes, without the option of parole. Juvenile life without parole may also be known as â€Å"JLWOP.† Even though there’s a consensus saying that a child cannot be tried or held at the same standards as an adult and recognize that children are empowered to a higher level of treatmentRead MoreJuvenile Crime : The Criminal Justice System1031 Words   |  5 PagesIn the 1990s, violent juvenile crime rates had reached record high levels throughout the United States. During these years, many Americans considered the criminal justice system too easy on violent juvenile offenders and demanded reform. Many states, including Florida began to focus efforts on juvenile crime. â€Å"Florida’s criminal sentencing laws and punishment policies from 1980 to 2000 ref lected an ongoing, focused effort to deter serious crimes† (Taylor). Crimes were given stricter sentencing guidelines