Should teens who kill be sentenced to life in prison? (episode 258)

Should young offenders who rape or kill be sentenced to life in prison, and if so, should they be treated differently than adults who commit crimes of violence? Since 2005, the Supreme Court has had a lot to say about how we treat juveniles who kill and rape. The high court banned the death penalty for offenders under 18. It limited sentences of life without parole to those convicted of murder. It banned the use of mandatory life without parole, though some states, including Maryland, still have it as an option. And even in cases where juveniles serving life might be eligible for parole, in Maryland the governor has the final say. Therefore, the American Civil Liberties Union argues that Maryland has de facto life without parole for juvenile offenders, and the ACLU says that unconstitutional. To explain a lawsuit filed against the state, Dan's guest is Sonia Kumar, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland. Further reading: An overview of juveniles and life without parole from the Sentencing Project.Links:http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-juvenile-life-hearing-20170103-story.htmlhttp://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/juvenile-life-without-parole/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/obituaries/bs-sp-frank-deford-obituary-0530-20170529-story.html