TELL US: Should Convicted Teens Receive 'Fairer' Sentences?
New legislation is proposing teens convicted of murder before age 17 to be eligible for parole 15 years after being incarcerated.
Gov. Deval Patrick introduced a new piece of legislation on Monday in an effort to offer convicted teenagers a second chance earlier in their sentence. The proposal, "An Act to Reform the Juvenile Justice System in the Commonwealth", offers new plans regarding how the state treats teenagers who have been convicted of murder, according to MyFoxBoston.com. Specifically, the plan aims "to create a fairer justice system for the state’s youth by extending the juvenile court jurisdiction" from age 17 to 18, and eliminating mandatory life sentences without parole for juveniles convicted of first-degree murder, according to an announcement from the Executive Department Office of Gov. Patrick Monday. If the proposal is passed, anyone aged 14-17 …
Jerry Chase
9:37 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Where is the evidence to support the governor's rationale for "fairer" sentences? There isn't any. more ›