LIFE SENTENCES FOR CHILDREN- NOW I KNOW AMERICANS ARE NUTS

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Life sentences should not apply to children". I just about fell over when I read that headline. What kind of civilized society would sentence a child to life imprisonment for even the worst criminal behaviour? Well according to the Record article, American society does it fairly regularily. Furthermore despite a Supreme Court ruling against life imprisonment without chance of parole, several states have actively stickhandled around the intent of that ruling.

A couple of examples of horrific abuses of children were highlighted including the Dozier home for boys in Florida. The home finally closed in 2011 after decades of abuse and violence by the authorities upon the young residents. Many of these residents crimes consisted of trespassing, stealing cars and running away from home. Apparently the United States lack the idea of juveniles and minors that we have in Canada. True the pendulum can swing too far in both directions but surely the U.S. model is one to be avoided at all costs.