The United States is one of the few countries which recognize the necessity of sentencing juveniles to life without parole (Whitehead & Lab, 2010). In 2009 there were at least 2.500 underage people, condemned to life imprisonment (American Academic of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2010). The question arises whether it is an effective form of managing the behavior of these people. In the majority of cases, the juvenile offenders, who serve life imprisonment sentences, were convicted of aggravated murder that is usually punishable by death. Therefore, to a certain degree, this is a human way of managing behavior and most importantly, protecting the community. This is the main and only advantage of this approach.
However, one should not forget that the main objective of juvenile justice is to provide the person with an opportunity to re-enter the community and rehabilitate oneself. In turn, life without parole entirely deprives the person of this opportunity. Additionally, juveniles are not always aware of the consequences, entailed by their actions; therefore, the rules, applied to adults, are not suitable for them. The judge, who passes such a sentence on a juvenile, should take into account circumstances that led to the murder, the personality of the victim, the exact age of the offender. These steps are necessary for determining the extent of responsibility.
It is difficult to say whether sentencing a juvenile to life imprisonment is morally wrong. Probably there are some cases when such an individual does deserve this penalty. Yet, contemporary American justice is becoming more restorative rather than retributive, which means that its main objective is not to punish the criminal, but to address the needs of the victim and help the offender to restore his/her status in the community (Whitehead & Lab, 2010). This argument is particularly relevant to juvenile delinquency. This is why life without parole should not be expanded.
Reference List
American Academic of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. (2009).” Life Without Parole for Juvenile Offenders”. Web.
Whitehead J. & Lab. S. (2010). Juvenile Justice, Sixth Edition. NY: Anderson.