Criminal and social justice issue that I choose is teens sentence to life in prison. We have the highest rate when it comes to putting juveniles in prison for criminal acts. We need to look at the cause .We have to find a resolution to this problem. I will be addressing some of the issue that I believe should be address. The rights of juvenile defendants have been debated, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to sentence convicted criminals under 18 to death there are conversated when it come to this constitutional.
There was been an increase in juvenile waivers and blended sentences, which has harsher penalties for juvenile offenders that was done serious and violent crimes. The States change their laws allowing more discretion to prosecute juveniles as adults, they can impose increasingly tougher sanctions …show more content…
As of 2006, at least 2,225 people in the United States were serving sentences of life without parole for crimes they committed before their eighteenth birthday” (Massey, 2006, p.1) Now, 38 of the 50 states allow juvenile killers to be sentence to life without parole. In a number of states, the punishment is mandatory, the defendant’s age and background cannot be considered when determining the sentence. Sentencing juveniles to life in prison violates the Constitution’s that says it is cruel and unusual punishment . This controversial issues regarding life without parole for juveniles are on 2 stages (1) questions of retribution vs. rehabilitation for juvenile offenders and 2) the legal issues surrounding life without parole for juveniles, the people who work for the Juvenile justice advocates believe that teenagers and children have not develop emotionally and mentally as adults. Since they are so young these teens might not grasp the consequences of a crime and how the rest of they life will be affected. Advocates also believe that juveniles have a
There was been an increase in juvenile waivers and blended sentences, which has harsher penalties for juvenile offenders that was done serious and violent crimes. The States change their laws allowing more discretion to prosecute juveniles as adults, they can impose increasingly tougher sanctions …show more content…
As of 2006, at least 2,225 people in the United States were serving sentences of life without parole for crimes they committed before their eighteenth birthday” (Massey, 2006, p.1) Now, 38 of the 50 states allow juvenile killers to be sentence to life without parole. In a number of states, the punishment is mandatory, the defendant’s age and background cannot be considered when determining the sentence. Sentencing juveniles to life in prison violates the Constitution’s that says it is cruel and unusual punishment . This controversial issues regarding life without parole for juveniles are on 2 stages (1) questions of retribution vs. rehabilitation for juvenile offenders and 2) the legal issues surrounding life without parole for juveniles, the people who work for the Juvenile justice advocates believe that teenagers and children have not develop emotionally and mentally as adults. Since they are so young these teens might not grasp the consequences of a crime and how the rest of they life will be affected. Advocates also believe that juveniles have a