In Miller and Jackson, the United States Supreme Court will consider the constitutionality of imposing life without parole sentences on juveniles convicted of homicide offenses. Miller and Jackson were convicted of homicide offenses for crimes they committed as juveniles, and both received mandatory life without parole sentences.
Juvenile Law Center submitted one of several amicus briefs in support of Miller and Jackson, serving as lead counsel for 90 advocacy organizations and individuals across the country. The brief argues that the imposition of life without parole sentences on juveniles violates the Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause of the Eighth Amendment because, as the Supreme Court held in Roper v. Simmons and Graham v. Florida, juveniles as a class are less culpable for their criminal conduct than adults.
Juvenile Law Center also argues that a mandatory life without parole sentence precludes considerations of the individual juvenile offender or the circumstances of his crime. Additionally, Jackson's life without parole sentence following a conviction of felony murder is squarely at odds with the Supreme Court's holding in Graham that juveniles who neither kill, intend to kill, or foresee that life will be taken are constitutionally ineligible for such sentences.
The United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in both cases on March 20, 2012.
"Supreme Court revisits issue of harsh sentences for juveniles," Adam Liptak, The New York Times, 3/20/12
"US Supreme Court questions if juvenile killers should be given second chance," John Kelly, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, 3/20/12
"Marsha Levick: Why juveniles deserve a second chance," Point/Counterpoint, Allentown Morning Call, 3/20/12
"Do juvenile killers deserve life behind bars?," Nina Totenberg, NPR, 3/20/12
"US Supreme Court should give juveniles the chance to prove they've changed," Father Greg Boyle, National Catholic Reporter, 3/19/12
"Jailed for life at age 14: US Supreme Court to consider juvenile sentences," Ed Pilkington, The Guardian, 3/19/12
"Don't put juveniles in jail for life," Laurence Steinberg, Special to CNN, 3/19/12
"US Supreme Court to hear key juvenile cases on Tuesday," John Kelly and Ryan Schill, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, 3/19/12
"Teens change, given a chance," Edwin Desamour, Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/19/12
"Langley celebrates Case Day today," Bobbi Bowman, McLean Patch, 3/19/12
"Upcoming US Supreme Court case could impact 14-year-old murderer's prison sentence," Tom Shortell, The Express-Times, 3/18/12
"Giving jailed juveniles a second chance at life," Marian Wright Edelman, Washington Post, 3/15/12
"14 years old: Too young for life in prison?," Sevil Omer, MSNBC.com, 3/15/12
"Juveniles don't deserve life sentences," Op-ed by Gail Garinger, The New York Times, 3/14/12
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