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Murder

The Decline of Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentencing in the US

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

In the mid-20th century, the US witnessed a sharp increase in the number of children being sentenced to life without parole, with numbers peaking in the 1990s. This phenomenon was largely due to the "superpredator" theory, which posited that young Black males were responsible for a surge in juvenile crime. However, research has since shown that this theory was a myth, and the actual number of juvenile crimes has decreased over the years. Today, the US is one of the few countries that still sentences children to life without parole, with many states having banned or restricted the practice.

Key Takeaways:

  • The "superpredator" era saw a significant increase in juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentencing, with 71% growth in children tried as adults between 1985 and 1994.
  • By the end of the 1990s, youth crime had actually decreased, and the number of incarcerated youths fell by 77% between 2000 and 2020.
  • The US is the only nation that sentences children to life without the possibility of parole, despite many laws from the "superpredator" era still being on the books.
  • The US Supreme Court has recognized that child offenders are different from adults, with justices citing the lack of brain development and potential for rehabilitation as mitigating factors.
  • Many states have now banned or have no one serving JLWOP, with over 500 people still serving life without parole for crimes committed as children.
  • The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth estimates that 1,000 individuals have been released from prison due to changes in laws overriding their original sentencing.
  • A 2020 study found that only 1.14% of people who had been sentenced to life without parole in Philadelphia and eventually released were re-convicted, while another study found that only one of 142 individuals released in Michigan after the Miller decision had been rearrested as of 2021.

Statistics:

  • 71% growth in children tried as adults between 1985 and 1994 (The Conversation, "40 years ago, the US started sending more and more kids to prison without hope of release, but today, it's far more rare -- what happened?")
  • 77% decrease in incarcerated youths between 2000 and 2020 (The Conversation, "40 years ago, the US started sending more and more kids to prison without hope of release, but today, it's far more rare -- what happened?")
  • 1.14% of people sentenced to life without parole in Philadelphia and eventually released were re-convicted (The Conversation, "40 years ago, the US started sending more and more kids to prison without hope of release, but today, it's far more rare -- what happened?")
  • 142 individuals released in Michigan after the Miller decision, with only one rearrested as of 2021 (The Conversation, "40 years ago, the US started sending more and more kids to prison without hope of release, but today, it's far more rare -- what happened?")

Sources:

  • The Conversation, "40 years ago, the US started sending more and more kids to prison without hope of release, but today, it's far more rare -- what happened?"
  • The Conversation, "Panic over supposed 'super-predator' teens ended years ago, but its consequences did not."
  • Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (referenced in The Conversation, "40 years ago, the US started sending more and more kids to prison without hope of release, but today, it's far more rare -- what happened?")

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