Life in Prison Too Long for Youngest Offenders, Report Says
A new report to be released today says states should review the sentences of some juvenile offenders sentenced to life in prison to see if they deserve parole.
The report says 73 inmates are serving life sentences in 19 states for crimes they committed at age 13 or 14, the New York Times reports. The United States is the only country with such harsh penalties for young offenders, according to the Equal Justice Initiative, which contends the practice violates the Constitution and international law.
Lawyers are seeking relief in the legal system for such inmates, citing a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision that bars execution for those who murder before the age of 18. The decision, Roper v. Simmons, said juveniles should not be put to death because they are less mature and more likely to be rehabilitated. Lawyers say the same reasoning applies to life sentences.
