Helping Juveniles Rehabilitate Themselves Back Into Society

In June of 2012, the United States Supreme Court came to a decision that struck down 29 state laws that impose mandatory life without parole sentences for juvenile murder defendants who committed their crime before the age of 18. The reason for this decision is that the courts have considered research from psychologists and scientists from across the nation that have proven that a person’s brain is not fully developed in the areas governing cognitive and moral activity before the age of 18.

The under-development of a juvenile’s brain is the reason most teenagers are less likely to properly weigh risk factors in a responsible fashion (as do adults) and make them more apt to be capricious in their decision making. This adolescent hormonal imbalance is what the Supreme Court says makes a juvenile defendant most capable of being rehabilitated. Therefore, you can’t treat children as though they are equal to adults.

In the state of Missouri, 89 juvenile defendants have come into adulthood while incarcerated, yet Missouri remains to be the only state in the nation that refuses to address this issue of re-sentencing juveniles to a second chance at life. Governor Jay Nixon and Attorney General Chris Koster are showing that they are more concerned about making money off of the inmate population than the welfare and future of our children. A committee of the United States Conference of Bishops has endorsed principles of a national campaign to end the practice of sentencing people to life in prison without the possibility of parole, when the crime was committed before the age of 18.

Along with signing this petition, you can also contact Missouri State Representative Kimberly M. Gardner (District 77) 573-751-1400 and Missouri State Representative Penny Hubbard (District 78) 573-751-2383, who are both on board with rehabilitation and see how you can assist with the issue.