Juveniles with life but not parole
By Gregory K. Fritz
Last May, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that sentencing juveniles (below 18 years old) who have not killed anyone to life without the possibility of parole violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment, and was thus unconstitutional.
My reaction was to heave a sigh of relief and wonder why it took so long. I believe there is no issue that child mental-health professionals agree on more: Children and adolescents are not adults and should be treated — including by the justice system — in a developmentally appropriate way.
