Legislation prohibiting juvenile life without parole sentencing is filed

OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation providing juvenile offenders a second chance by preventing harsh sentencing was recently filed by Sen. George Young, D-Oklahoma City.

Senate Bill 1189 not only prohibits life without parole sentences for juveniles, but also prohibits a mandatory minimum sentence that exceeds 20 years for any offender under the age of 18. The bill would also require a judge to take other circumstances into account when determining an individualized sentence, including maturity, family and community environment, and capacity for rehabilitation.

“Children do not have the brain development to fully understand the crimes they are committing and the consequences to their actions,” Young said. “These juvenile offenders should not be placed in prison for the rest of their lives when rehabilitation is possible.”

A series of United States Supreme Court rulings in recent years have specifically addressed life without parole sentences for juveniles, forbidding the imposition of the sentence unless certain factors are taken into account. Twenty-three states have already banned life without parole for juvenile offenders including Texas, Kansas and Arkansas.

“Life experiences of those with juvenile records vary, but studies have shown that many are subject to violence and abuse in their homes,” Young said. “We must take into account the environments these children have grown up in, their maturity, the crime they have committed, and then sentence them reasonably. Once they have served their time, we can provide rehabilitation services and prepare them to be productive members of society upon their release.”

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