News Report | May 3, 2021
Supreme Court Ruling Weakens Ban On Incarcerating Juveniles For Life
On April 22, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled in Jones v. Mississippi that juveniles under age 18 can be sentenced to life without parole even if the sentencer does not make a separate factual finding of permanent incorrigibility before sentencing. This ruling weakens a 2012 SCOTUS ruling that banned mandatory sentencing rules that could incarcerate juveniles for life. The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution does not require a finding that a juvenile is permanently incorrigible before imposing a sentence of life without parole.
The case, Jones v. Mississippi, concerns . . .