26Feb 2016

Supreme Court Ruling Gives Some Juvenile Offenders Second Chance

A recent ruling by the Supreme Court means that prison inmates who were sentenced to life without parole for homicide committed when they were juveniles must now be given a chance for parole. The Court ruled in 2012, in Miller v. Alabama, that a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole violated the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. The defendant was tried as an adult for a murder he committed when he was 14. The Court reasoned that a juvenile offender has the capability of maturing and changing, and thus may be deserving of a second chance.

The more recent ruling makes the decision in Miller v. Alabama retroactive to include all states. This means that more than 2,000 inmates nationwide may now be able to get parole. Some of these inmates have spent decades in prison with no hope of release. A number of states are affected by the ruling. The largest number of inmates who fall under the ruling is in Pennsylvania, which has 482 such prisoners. Missouri is second, with 113 inmates who were sentenced for homicide while they were juveniles. Most states automatically applied Miller v. Alabama retroactively to all eligible inmates. Other states that did not do so, in addition to Pennsylvania and Missouri, include Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, and Minnesota.

Some states argued against the ruling, claiming that it would be a financial burden to resentence eligible inmates. The Supreme Court, however, stated that resentencing should not be necessary. Each case could be considered through a simple parole hearing, which would be less costly.

Another argument presented was that resentencing would remove the “finality” of the original sentence. The Court’s opinion was that this would not be the case if the states merely considered the possibility of parole through a hearing. The Court’s ruling also stated that inmates who have not shown evidence of reform should continue to serve life sentences.

10 responses on “Supreme Court Ruling Gives Some Juvenile Offenders Second Chance

  1. This blog is such a hidden gem I stumbled upon it by chance and now I’m completely hooked!

  2. It means the world to us to hear such positive feedback on our blog posts. We strive to create valuable content for our readers and it’s always encouraging to hear that it’s making an impact.

  3. Your blog post had me hooked from the very beginning!

  4. Your blog has quickly become one of my favorites I am constantly impressed by the quality and depth of your content

  5. howtallis says:

    I was recommended this website by my cousin I am not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my difficulty You are wonderful Thanks

  6. Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks! https://www.binance.info/es/join?ref=V3MG69RO

  7. temp mail says:

    While I typically refrain from reading blog articles, I must express my strong interest in this particular post and urge you to do so. Your writing style has truly impressed me. Thank you for sharing this wonderful article.

  8. Fantastic site. Lots of helpful information here. I am sending it to some friends ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks for your effort!

  9. Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.

  10. I do believe all the ideas youve presented for your post They are really convincing and will certainly work Nonetheless the posts are too short for novices May just you please lengthen them a little from subsequent time Thanks for the post

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *