If you guessed America - give yourself a cookie. According to the Human Rights Watch campaign:
- The United States is now the only country in the world that imposes this sentence on youth for crimes committed under age 18.[8]
- The number of youth sentenced to life without parole in the US has risen to 2,570. [9]
- The number of youth sentenced to life without parole in California increased from 227 to 301. [10]
Want to play guess the socio-economic status? I bet this quiz is too easy for you.
As long as private prisons spend millions a year lobbying for tougher and mandatory sentencing people will be given unreasonable terms in prison. When did the idea of rehabilitation completely dissipate from our collective conscious? Do we really think juveniles are incorrigible, that they will never grow up or change?
I work with juveniles, and yes, they may seem incorrigible. They all seem to have moments when logic and reason do not apply to them. And, that is the key, they all seem to have these moments - a lot. They tend to be reactory. What a surprise, teenagers tend to act like teenagers and make mistakes. In truth, all people, no matter their age, have moments of complete stupidity. But, as we age, these moments are more fleeting, most of us gain more control. We change. I am not the same person I was at 5, 15, or 25. I am not the person I will be at 35, 45, or 55. Why does it seem to obvious to me? People do horrible things. But, a horrible act at the age of 16, can not be the only defining moment of a person who lives to 80.
I shall exit before I really begin to rant.
