Minors who have not committed murder should not be locked up for life, according to a decision of the Supreme Court of the United STATES today. In the case of Graham v. Florida , the court said it considered the brain and behavioral science in deciding that the life sentences for most young criminals are cruel and unusual punishment.
decision extends a decision 05 ( Roper v. Simmons ) the prohibition of the death penalty for minors. amicus curiae briefs submitted to the court by the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and others have questioned whether young people should be held to the same standards of culpability as adults because research suggesting that their brains are not yet fully mature.
in its decision, the court said it has taken these data into consideration:
No recent data give reason to reconsider the observations of Roper Course nature juveniles. As petitioners note amici, the evolution of psychology and brain science continue to show fundamental differences between youth and adult minds. For example, parts of the brain involved in behavior control continue to mature until late adolescence. ... Young people are more capable of change than adults, and their actions are less likely to have evidence of irretrievably depraved character than are the actions of adults.
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