http://nhpr.org en http://nhpr.org/post/high-court-debates-life-without-parole-juveniles The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in two murder cases testing whether it is unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment to sentence a 14-year-old to life in prison without the possibility of parole. There are currently 79 people serving such life terms for crimes committed when they were 14 or younger.<p>The American legal system treats minors as both less culpable and less responsible. Fourteen-year-olds, for instance, are not allowed to drink, marry, vote or even drive. Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:14:00 +0000 Nina Totenberg 2661 at http://nhpr.org High Court Debates Life Without Parole For Juveniles http://nhpr.org/post/without-parole-juveniles-face-bleak-life-prison We hear a lot about juvenile offenders when they commit a crime — and again, when they're sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison. But not much is known about what happens after the prison gates slam shut.<p>For the first time, researchers are starting to fill in the blanks — with <a href="http://sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/jj_The_Lives_of_Juvenile_Lifers.pdf" target="_blank">a survey of nearly 1,600 young people serving life</a> without the possibility of parole. They say the U.S. Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:11:00 +0000 Carrie Johnson 2662 at http://nhpr.org Without Parole, Juveniles Face Bleak Life In Prison