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Room for Redemption

By Neil Shous, Esq.

No more life in prison without possibility of parole for juvenile offenders convicted of nonhomicide crimes. So says the Supreme Court. Such a punishment contravenes the evolving standards of decency through which we evaluate the Eighth Amendment. Such a punishment leaves no room for redemption. Here is part of what Justice Kennedy wrote for the majority in Graham v. Florida: The juvenile should not be deprived of the opportunity to achieve maturity of judgment and self-recognition of human worth and potential?Life in prison without the possibility of parole gives no chance for fulfillment outside prison walls, no chance for reconciliation with society, no hope. The Court?s message is gratifying, especially for those of us in California (one of the eleven states that have imposed this kind of sentence) who face significant challenges presented by a tough-on-crime justice system and correspondingly overburdened prison system...continue to full post

Full post as published by California Criminal Defense Blog on May 18, 2010 (boomark / email).