Should the crime determine whether a child should be tried as adult is another issue that’s debatable?

UTAH Gov. Gary Herbert signed into law HB 405, banning the practice of sentencing children to life without the possibility of parole. This makes Utah the second state this year implementing less punitive accountability measures for children.

The number of states that ban life-without parole for people who were younger than 18 at the time of their crime is 16.  Five other states have banned life without parole for children under most circumstances.

Jody Kent Lavy, director and national coordinator at the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth said:

(“By banning life without parole for children, Utah policymakers affirmed that we are all more than the worst thing we have ever done.”  “Adolescent development research affirms that children – even those who commit serious crimes -- possess a unique capacity for change and rehabilitation. Rather than sentencing them to die in prison, we should hold children who commit serious crimes accountable in ways that account for their age at the time of the crime, relevant childhood experiences, and their capacity for change.”)

How do you feel about sentencing children to life without parole?

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