Supreme Court Weighs Juvenile Life Sentences

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i think that should be a law but what iam wondering is what about the kids that have commited murder

stephen goodman of MT 11:30AM March 16, 2010

Has the Supreme Court decided on Joe Harris Sullivan's case yet?

Teri C of WA 3:46PM January 29, 2010

We are in grave danger of Losing the hearts and minds and soul's of our Son's and daughters, to the maleficent appendages of our societies. There exists in Countries world-wide from the poorest to the richest governmental policies and societal influences that are not conducive to our children's' maximal development. For example......, Currently in the United States there are two systems for processing Individuals who commit crimes: The criminal Justice system for adults and the Juvenile Justice System for children, not long ago these systems differed significantly in virtually all respects, including their principles, procedures and dispositions. While punishment for adults was premised on retribution and deterrence, Children were generally subject to diversion or short term legal restraint which in theory emphasised rehabilitation. However between the 1960's and present day, the Juvenile system's philosophy and structure has come to closely imitate the Adult system. Legislatures have narrowed Juvenile Court Jurisdiction, nudged what is left of that Jurisdiction towards a punishment orientation that often downplays treatment and Indeed imposes adult criminal procedures and determinate sentences. Children are being transferred to Adult systems far too early and far too often, something that must be reserved for the truly unnameable to treatment, which is a very narrow category for people. For children are less responsible for their actions because of cognitive and volitional developmental deficiencies and thus should receive special treatment. I mean, the moral and decision making capacities of children between seven and eighteen are inferior, and this inferiority should, must be recognised through treatment in a separate system.Children as a class are not psychologically developed in legally relevant ways, and since it is worldly and humanly possible to reconstruct these Governmental policies that advocate discarding its children into garbage receptacle called adult prisons, we must dutifully make that our goal.I was a Juvenile defendant, as a teenager I received a Life sentence, and to date, I have been Incarcerated fourteen years and five months, however hindsight informs me that under the proper circumstances, the proper system my mind could of been fundamentally led away from providing the United States with the Opportunity to exploit my cognitive and Volitional developmental tendencies, my childlike disposition. So I am intimately positive, despite the debate, that virtually all children will respond most effectively to rehabilitative efforts as opposed to retributive.
I thank you for your time and attention.....

Dante D. Cottingham 259241 of WI 7:58PM January 17, 2010

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Winnerfirm of 11:39PM January 04, 2010

I think each case should decided on a case by case manner. The developement of the brain should be considered in making a youth stay in jail for life. Family situation and teachers and type of crime that was projected.

Kenneth Mcphaul, Jr of MI 8:05PM November 23, 2009

I am a firm believer in "if you do the crime, do the time" no matter what age. I do understand the reasoning of some based on the development theory, but do not accept it as a standard to judge those who CHOOSE to commit crimes as serious as RAPE and MURDER(including attempted murder).
I base this logic on my professional experince as a juvenile corrections officer and personal experience as a human being witnessing what crime and the minimizing of such acts has done to our society.
I ask one question to the individuals that believe juveniles should not do life for such brutal crimes; What would you choose for a juvenile that rape killed and/or molested your mother, grandmother, wife, or child?
We can't detach from a feeling of responsibily to protect our citizens and then want to kill anyone who harms our family because it's more personal. What these youth are doing to our sense of security and safety is personal. Give them what the law requires of their actions. They have made a choice' they were not in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were at the place they chose to commit a ctime.

Eugene D. McDonald of MI 12:46PM November 17, 2009

Mr Drozdick, Obviously you have not been to any facility and visited the kids that are there. Many of them just want another chance to prove themselves and they are not hardened. And furthermore it is obvious that you don't know the Lord and His power to come into one's life and help them to change.
I have seen first hand the amazing grace of the Lord and His power to make a person into a new creature. I have visited many prisons over the years and there are good and evil people in there, just like out here.
I am not suggesting or implying that all teens who have been sentenced to life are ready to come out into the free world, but I do believe they all should have an opportunity to be evaluated for the possibility of parole at some time during their sentence.
Eternity is a long time and it has no end. The bodies that hold us are only temporary and our life in them ends very quickly. One that knows the Lord personally and has faith in God for his salvation is a free person no matter where his body is living. Those who don't know the Lord are in prison no matter where they are living, and they will spend eternity separated from God and any good thing, it won't be a party.
Godly people are like God, they have good in them and see good in others. They also have found forgiveness, and show others forgiveness.
Jesus said, Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. Be careful about throwing stones, Mr.Drozdick. Judge not, lest YOU be judged by the same yardstick that you have judged others.

Beautiful Lilly of FL 10:18AM November 14, 2009

hi i am reading this mail today online. but i think we are not perfect and according to what i read some kids might be and the wrong place and the wrong times and i think the judges shoould give a free hearing from the victims(child)to hear him speak and ask why and what lead you to these act. i think wtih that he will temper jutices with mercy.

charles 5:10PM November 13, 2009

Should juveniles be subjected to life sentences?
Absolutely!
Have any of you 'liberals' visited jails and prisons to witness how/why these hardenedteen-age criminals have lived in their environment and how their minds are molded around a culture of violence and mayhem?? Their chances of developing respect for their fellow man is nill! We don't need/want these violent people in our free society!

Frsnk Drozdick of MA 11:14AM November 13, 2009

Sentencing a juvenile that has no right to vote, drink, drive, marry, or go into the military, as an adult, and to give them a life sentence with no possible chance of parole, shows that our judicial system is barbaric and uncivilized, and the judges who impose such sentencing are out of touch with God, and the knowledge of His principles. Where does God's Love, Grace, Mercy, Forgivness, and Restoration come in? Why not take the time to look beyond the crime that was committed, and get to the root instead of throwing these children into adult prisons to be threatened, raped, and abused further by the adult inmates and guards. The laws should at least allow these children to be evaluated some time during their sentence to give them the possibility of parole. Instead they are not sentenced to "life" in prison, but they are sentenced to "die" in prison with no hope of any future, told they have no value, and told they can not change. This is a travesty! Many of these children did not even kill anyone. Many were just in the wrong place at the wrong time with another person who committed the crime. Our current laws as they are speak to everyone that God is not able to change a person. I have seen first hand a case where the juvenile, who was a troubled teen, did not commit murder, yet he was sentenced to life without parole. Now as an adult, he understands God's love and mercy, and he is a totally different person. He is a Godly man with a passion to help other troubled teens who are making wrong decisions and headed down the wrong path. People can change, and I vote to have the laws changed to allow these kids to have a second chance. Let's not give up so quickly on our youth.
Vote to end juvenile LIFE without parole. PETITION IN SUPPORT OF HR2289 - ENDING JUVENILE LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE. Please Vote here at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/6/petition-in-support-of-hr4300---ending-juvenile-life-without-parole
http://HR4300.com
Signed, Jireh's mom

Beautiful Lilly of FL 9:13PM November 12, 2009