Life Sentences for Juveniles Offenders: Open for Later Review

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-juveniles-sentenced-to-life-have-option-for-new-reviews/2016/01/25/06e3dfc2-c378-11e5-8965-0607e0e265ce_story.html

Discussing the issue of juvenile justice and appropriate/mandatory sentences for minors, this article divulges into the recent Supreme Court ruling that juveniles who were "sentenced as teenagers to mandatory life imprisonment for murder must have a chance to argue that they should be released from prison." The argument presented focuses on how youth can be rehabilitated and should not face life-long sentences, regardless of the heinousness of the crime, because they are not adults. This decision builds off of cases from 2005 where capital punishment, mandatory sentencing of life in prison without parole, and the chance of being imprisoned for life due to crimes other than murder were stricken of legality for juvenile offenders. Justifications for each ruling are generally explored as well as rebutted.

I felt a lot of ambivalence about this article and gave it significant thought for both sides. This topic evokes a lot of reaction from individuals involved, across the spectrum, in the juvenile system. It is important to acknowledge that children/youth are not fully developed in their decision-making abilities nor do they have full functioning impulse control regulation. I do believe that sentencing should be acknowledged on an individual basis but do also see the side of mandatory sentencing for certain crimes. There needs to be real consequences for these offenses so that youth learn that actions have reactions that reflect the choices each person makes. I am not advocating for all offenders to receive prison sentences for every crime; age of the offender is a large factor for me as well as circumstances surrounding the crime. However, looking at recent trends in legal decision changes, there seems to be a shift from no tolerance to some tolerance to extra tolerance. The system seems to be making changes to recognize research and outcomes that respect the difference in mental capabilities of youth and adults which I agree with. At the same token, crimes like murder, rape, etc sometimes require harsh punishment. It is a fear that in trying to help the system, lawmakers/policy enforcers may "over-correct" and there will be some really negative repercussions. I guess my opinion on this is still up in the air. If anyone else has thoughts on this, I would love to hear them.