Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is considering whether sentencing a juvenile to life in prison with no chance of parole is cruel and unusual punishment, particularly if the crime is less serious than homicide.
The cases being heard Monday involve two Florida convicts. Joe Sullivan was sent away for life for raping an elderly woman when he was 13. Terrance Graham was implicated in armed robberies when he was 16 and 17.
Graham, now 22, and Sullivan, now 33, are in Florida prisons, which hold more than 70 percent of juvenile defendants locked up for life for crimes other than homicide.
Lawyers for Graham and Sullivan argue that it is a bad idea to render a final judgment about people so young.
States where juveniles serve life terms:
Distribution, by state, of juvenile offenders sentenced to life in prison without parole, and the number of juvenile offenders serving such sentences for crimes in which no one was killed:
State Life Life-nonfatal crimes
Ala. 62 0
Ariz. 32 0
Ark. 73 0
Calif. 250 4
Colo. 48 0
Conn. 9 0
Del. 7 1
Fla. 266 77
Ga. 8 0
Hawaii 4 0
Idaho 4 0
Ill. 103 0
Ind. 2 0
Iowa 44 6
Ky. 5 0
La. 335 17
Md. 13 0
Mass. 57 0
Mich. 346 0
Minn. 2 0
Miss. 24 2
Mo. 116 0
Mont. 1 0
Neb. 24 1
Nev. 16 0
N.H. 3 0
N.C. 44 0
N.D. 1 0
Ohio 2 0
Okla. 48 0
Pa. 444 0
R.I. 2 0
S.C. 26 1
S.D. 9 0
Tenn. 4 0
Texas 4 0
Utah 1 0
Va. 48 0
Wash. 28 0
Wis. 16 0
Wyo. 6 0
Federal Prisons 37 0
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Source: Human Rights Watch Paolo G. Annino, David W. Rasmussen and Chelsea Boehme Rice from Florida State University.