[link removed] [[link removed]]
John,
Despite a wave of reforms across America that reduce the use of juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences, thousands of youth and emerging adults have been left behind even though their sentences are essentially the same, according to a new report released today by The Sentencing Project. “Still Cruel and Unusual: Extreme Sentences for Youth and Emerging Adults,” [[link removed]] argues for extending the sentencing relief available in JLWOP cases to those serving other forms of life imprisonment for crimes committed in their youth.
The report [[link removed]] highlights the latest data on youth and emerging adults serving life sentences, including:
Life sentences for youth under 18
*
In
2020,
over
8,600
people
were
serving
either
life
with
the
possibility
of
parole
(LWP)
or
“virtual”
life
sentences
of
50
years
or
longer
for
crimes
committed
as
minors.
*
California
(2,358),
Georgia
(900),
Texas
(1,081),
and
New
York
(461)
hold
the
largest
number
of
youth
sentenced
to
LWP
or
virtual
life
sentences.
*
In
Georgia
and
Wisconsin,
10%
or
more
of
the
entire
life-sentenced
population
were
under
18
at
the
time
of
their
crime.
*
In
the
following
states,
at
least
80%
of
people
serving
these
sentences
are
Black:
Alabama,
Georgia,
Louisiana,
Maryland,
and
Mississippi.
Life sentences for people 25 or younger
*
Nearly
two
in
five
people
sentenced
to
life
without
parole
(LWOP)
were
25
or
younger
at
the
time
of
their
crime.
*
Being
Black
and
young
produced
a
substantially
larger
share
of
LWOP
sentences
than
being
Black
alone:
two-thirds
of
emerging
adults
sentenced
to
LWOP
were
Black.
A broad range of experts across the fields of neuroscience, sociology, and psychology agree that juveniles and emerging adults share reduced culpability and developmental immaturity. In addition, social science consistently shows that extreme penalties offer little community safety benefit.
As states implement policies to eliminate LWOP for juveniles, they must provide a second look for all youth, not just some.
Read Report [[link removed]]
[[link removed]] Ashley Nellis, Ph.D.
Co-Director of Research
Email: [email protected] [[email protected]]
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