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State legislature considers more life sentences for juvenile offenders
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State legislature considers more life sentences for juvenile offenders
After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that life without parole is an unconstitutional sentence for juvenile offenders, Pennsylvania was in the spotlight, with the highest concentration of juvenile lifers in the nation. Well, the General Assembly's apparent move to deal with that court decision isn't exactly assuaging the fears of civil rights advocates. SB 850, which could pass out the state House in the near future, was amended to include new penalties for those convicted of murder as juveniles — and punishments still include life without parole as well as life with possibility of parole. Minimum sentences would be 35 years for juveniles age 15-17 found guilty of first-degree murder, or 25 years for those age 14 and under. Second-degree murder would carry minimum sentences of 30 years (ages 15-17) or 20 years (age 14 and under).
The ACLU of Pennsylvania is arguing that the new law will compound the problem, and consign more children to die in prison. Decarcerate PA says this is a problem that requires more consideration. "SB 850 calls for one of the most substantive changes to this area of the sentencing statute in nearly a century. And yet it is being rushed through the General Assembly without sufficient time for debate and consideration or public input. As has been the case with other important legislation impacting prisoners and/or the judicial process in the past, this legislation is being tacked on as a mere amendment to an otherwise unrelated bill, with the hopes of fast-tracking it into approval. We must not allow this to happen." They're holding a phone bank event Thursday.
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