Life without Parole Violates Juveniles’ Rights
In a 5-4 decision the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that life without parole for juvenile offenders convicted of homicide is cruel and unusual punishment. The Eighth Amendment states “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted” (U.S. Constitution, 1787). Alabama and Arkansas are two states whose court decisions were overturned due to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The Eighth Amendment puts limits on how severely a juvenile’s sentence can be. In several states inmates that were sentenced to life without parole as juveniles are preparing for re-sentencing. The Eighth Amendment creates a punishment ceiling that is set by the U.S. Constitution rather than legislature, however it creates a range of sentencing that a juvenile can be exposed to.
Due to the Sixth Amendment, which states “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause …show more content…
With the use of treatment juveniles negative and illegal behavior are corrected and they are able to be placed back into society and become healthy adults. According to Tate, Reppucci, and Mulvey (1995), the several types of intervention methods used to treat juveniles, they include: biological intervention, cognitive-behavioral approaches, and social skill training, and problem solving training. Biological intervention focuses on the idea that that there are genetic and neurological abnormalities that cause the violent behavior in juveniles. For adolescents with violent behavior contributed to neurological and organic impairments, pharmaceutical options may be the way to go to treat those
In a 5-4 decision the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that life without parole for juvenile offenders convicted of homicide is cruel and unusual punishment. The Eighth Amendment states “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted” (U.S. Constitution, 1787). Alabama and Arkansas are two states whose court decisions were overturned due to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The Eighth Amendment puts limits on how severely a juvenile’s sentence can be. In several states inmates that were sentenced to life without parole as juveniles are preparing for re-sentencing. The Eighth Amendment creates a punishment ceiling that is set by the U.S. Constitution rather than legislature, however it creates a range of sentencing that a juvenile can be exposed to.
Due to the Sixth Amendment, which states “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause …show more content…
With the use of treatment juveniles negative and illegal behavior are corrected and they are able to be placed back into society and become healthy adults. According to Tate, Reppucci, and Mulvey (1995), the several types of intervention methods used to treat juveniles, they include: biological intervention, cognitive-behavioral approaches, and social skill training, and problem solving training. Biological intervention focuses on the idea that that there are genetic and neurological abnormalities that cause the violent behavior in juveniles. For adolescents with violent behavior contributed to neurological and organic impairments, pharmaceutical options may be the way to go to treat those