in_the_media

Young killers serving life might get second chance

Media Outlet: 

Los Angeles Times

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases involving 14-year-olds, on whether it is unconstitutional to put juvenile murderers in prison without hope of release. The attorneys for the 14-year-olds point to evidence that a teenager's brain is not fully developed. The research comes from Laurence Steinberg, a psychology professor at Temple. "Adolescents, because of their immaturity, should not be deemed as culpable as adults,” he said. "But they also are not innocent children whose crimes should be excused."