Discarded Youth: Children Sentenced to Serve Life Without Parole (LWOP)
The United States of America is heralded as a beacon of guiding light among the nations for having been regarded for its humane justice system. Often overlooked or completely ignored, however, has been the practice of sentencing juveniles to natural life in prison without the possibility of parole (LWOP). This contradicts predominant Western social mores including most cultural sensibilities globally. Most Americans have been unaware that this policy had existed and, when informed, find the policy as repugnant as the crimes themselves that were committed by juvenile offenders.
This issue has been a hot topic of debate for the past several decades. Policy makers are searching for ways to relieve pressure on the penal system. Reviewing ways to release children who were sentenced to LWOP is being seriously considered. Advocacy groups such as the Equal Justice Initiative and the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth were pivotal in juvenile justice reform, in abolishing the death penalty for children, and in amending the guidelines for mandatory LWOP sentencing. Consequently, scores of offenders who were children at the time of their offenses are now adults and, as adults, have been resentenced to be given a second chance at freedom while others have received “LIFE” all over again.
