Interpreting the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punished under the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on May 17, 2010 that sentencing a juvenile, a minor under the age of 18 years old, to a life sentence without parole is punishment that is unconstitutionally "cruel and unusual.” The Court held that an exception may exist in cases involving a juvenile who commits a killing of another without a legal justification or excuse.
Florida's Juvenile Justice System Leads in Need for Rehabilitation
Under the Supreme Court's ruling, Florida's industrial prison complex system must release 77 people who committed non-homicide crimes as juveniles and were sentenced to life in prison without a possibility of parole. Seventy-seven people means that Florida has more than half of the 129 such cases among the 50 states. Florida is also among approximately 20 states that have completely abolished the concept of parole. Under such systems of correction/governance, everyone is required to complete all their sentence time in the prison system without the incentive parole provides under the majority rule of law among the states.
The Criminal Justice System and the Case of Terrance Graham
The case before the U.S. Supreme Court came out of the State of Florida. The criminal/juvenile justice case of the minor Terrance Graham began with a conviction for robbery committed while 16 years old against a Florida restaurant using a pipe to incite fear. Terrance was released on parole after serving a one year jail sentence for this crime. A half a year later Terrance was caught fleeing from another armed robbery. The second judge that Terrance found himself before issued the maximum permissible sentence for the crime under Florida's criminal statute, namely, life without parole.
The Effect of the Supreme Court Legal Ruling on the Criminal Justice System
The effect of this 6-to-3 decision is that all U.S. states incarcerating persons falling under this ruling must in fact comply with the high court ruling and make necessary legislative changes as needed for complete compliance. U.S. juveniles incarcerated for non-homicide crimes in jail on life sentences can now be released with rehabilitative and supervised services, such as provided by a parol system of corrections.
In the 6-to-3 decision, Justice Anthony Kennedy delivered the opinion of the Court, reversing and remanding the case back to the district court for compliance with its holding that life sentences without parole deprives juveniles the opportunity to rejoin society and become rehabilitated. Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Antonin Scalia dissented, joined in part by Justice Samuel Alito.
Court's Call for More Rehabilitation in Teen Sentencing
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling means a ban to death-in-prison rulings for juveniles involved in non-homicide crimes in all 50 states. NPR's Nina Totenburg noted that "[i]n eliminating life-without-parole sentences for juveniles, the [C]ourt stressed the importance of rehabilitation." A more rehabilitative approach to juvenile justice and corrections must now be taken into account by a growing number of states like Florida who have for decades championed zero-tolerance policies in school systems, juvenile justice systems, and criminal justice systems in the United States.
General Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for legal or tax advice.
Vanessa Cross - Vanessa Cross is a freelance writer who writes about international trade, business law and small business development issues.
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