Teens locked up for life without a second chance

The issue brought up time and time again with youth offenders is always the fact that they grew up in single parent homes.... If this isnt one reason for our government to step in and push for equal parenting laws I dont know what is.......

For certain, evidence that in deed we NOW are a Much More Enlightened and compassionately caring "civil" community.
- just adad

no child committing an offense under the age of 18 should be given a life sentence without parole....

How many of these defendants had mediocre court-appointed lawyers? Justice is a RIGHT, NOT A PRIVLEDGE!

I think this is a perfect highlight of the major flaws in our current legal system, and how the majority believe that locking someone up is better than helping that person to get better through a reform program of some kind.

Throwing someone in prison is the easy way, especially for these minors.

check out www.thepeacealliance.org

I believe all the obsurdity is in the phrase "tried as an adult". why should we ever? oh, and btw? why does it cost over $30,000 a year to imprison someone...I don't even make half that, AND, have been in prison, AND, somehow that is suppose to make sense?

Yea...I remember when my brother and I were small. We'd play with posion blow darts then playfully move on to knives and guns. No one was hurt...guess we were just lucky.

Give me a break

c'mon when my friends and i were younger 2 brothers were messing around and the one brother shot the other brother in the eye with an arrow and it was really reckless but he did not get in trouble they were brothers.we all grew up together and they never got in trouble later in life.

i heard about this from my friend but never beleived it....wow harsh...

Part of the problem is the public outcry when a heinous crime happens. If a teenager or under aged child committed the crime the pressure is then put on the DA to try the child as an adult by the community. Nobody, in the heat of the moment considers the possibility that this child will spend the rest of their life in jail. If there is any lobbying to be made it would be to get more stringent sentencing guidelines for judges that do not allow for emotional or community opinion to factor into the sentence.

every time i try to gain a little more confidence in our legal system, I hear stories like this and am disappointed. I'm 22 and couldn't imagine being locked up for life over some reckless action I committed at the brink of my teenage years. And you know the government created crack in the 80s too, right?

Tougher sentencing laws aren't the answer; nor is holding parents responsible for the actions of their kids.

Seems like we're determined to have somebody to punish & blame. It's liquid crap folks and you're helping it flow.

Can people not change? Can you not do something in the heat of a moment you later regret? Punishment doesn't much deter crime. Kids haven't matured enough to give them proper perspective and in case you haven't noticed once you end up in prison your chances to return skyrocket.

Department of Corrections is a misnomer. It should be called the Dept. of Retribution. That's what it is.

The numbers we're talking are representative of a trend in society, not individual failings. The idea is to evolve, not isolate. We're addressing the symptoms, not the problem.

How would you like it if this was your son?

What we have is already bad enough. Why make it worse?

I have long since lost any illusion that there is much justice to be found in the "justice " system . If you have money and power you will likely be Okay . If not , watch your back and best not make any mistakes or hang with the wrong crowd ... unless you are very , very smart .

how exactly are sentances determined for crimes? isnt it up to the JUDGE, who no doubt holds a personal set of ideals that affect said judgement, to determine the appropriate consequence?

doesnt that undermine the entire point of the JUSTICE system?