Comments on: What’s Your Verdict: 14 Years Old and Life Without Parole?

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:23:16 +0000

Jeff, my friend, you sound like a complete and utter idiot. You seem to admit that jail is 0% rehabilitation but then still feel that its use should be ultimately permissible. Better option, save a broken child. Psychiatric care for 7 years would have done that 14yo that you grew up with legions of better assistance than jailing him. Prisons are nothing more than a school for criminals which is why there is such a high repeat offender rate. You’re idea is if they cant get out they cant repeat. You kind sir are a pure fool. Punishment is any thing that gets someone to not repeat an action… prisons are obviously not that. And no child deserves time out for life… word to Elena Kagan

By: Rosemary

Rosemary — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:35:52 +0000

I do not believe a child of 14 knows exactly what s/he is doing. They do not understand the ramifications of their mid-deeds. Quite often they have been abused as children and have lived in abusive homes. A 14 year old boy I know was a product of rape – his father had raped his step-daughter with her mother’s consent – not just once but on several occasions. This boy was one of 3 children conceived by this man and his step-daughter. The children were abused and were eventually removed from the home. When the boy murdered his friend, everyone was surprised but they never considered his abusive home. His trial was well publicized – aired on national tv. However, there was no real defense for him and he was sentenced to life. He, like so many other children, need help from a society which should have protected him. In his case, I also believe the parents of the murdered child should have taken part of the responsibility for their dead daughter. Wny wasn’t the weapon used in this case locked away where a child could not find it? There were small children in the family. We, as a civilized society, need to protect our young, not condemn them to life in prison.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:55:57 +0000

If you don’t know by the age of 13 that killing is wrong, then there is something wrong with you. Kids mature differently, however, we talking about MURDER!!! This is not shoplifting people.

By: KW

KW — Tue, 22 May 2012 21:44:01 +0000

We need to stop raising murderers and killers and raise kids that value life. It is more society’s fault than the kids faulty. We as a society need to look to God’s word and raise better children!!

By: Missy G

Missy G — Tue, 22 May 2012 19:02:29 +0000

At some point, we need to look at these children as products of a society we created. Most of these kids have rough lives and traumas of their own – and some in fact have diagnosed psychiatric disorders.

In almost all cases, it’s not their fault that they never learned how to properly cope in society. We need to come together as a society for these kids and find ways to intervene and help these kids BEFORE they get to the point where they are raping, beating or murdering people.

I know we like to tout the idea that we are a nation of individuals with individual responsibility, but we are also a society, and a civilized society looks out for one another and takes care of those who can’t care for themselves. At the end of the day, these kids are kids – and most never had chance in life – and that’s not their fault.

By: JimP

JimP — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:56:18 +0000

Lock them up and throw away the key. A criminal now will only be a criminal in the future

By: mary montgomery

mary montgomery — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:55:33 +0000

the word peniteniary means to make penance which implies the possibility of redemption. No mitigating information was given in either case. Crimes were horrific, but they should not be judged with more emotion than if a person “simply” killed another. No one should be given life w/o parole if they did not actually commit the the murder. They cannot be held for another’s decision. No one can say for certain what another would do in any circumstance until he does it.
Our country needs a whole new system for dealing with minors in the courts. The crimes may be horrific but the punishments are horrific as well.

By: Ann

Ann — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:32:02 +0000

Sentence fits the crime. It is about keeping everyone safe.

By: Rick Roberts

Rick Roberts — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:41:10 +0000

It’s not just about punishment. It is also about keeping the rest of us safe.

By: MEPace

MEPace — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:39:26 +0000

I don’t believe in the death penalty and I don’t think life without parole should be an acceptable sentence for a first time offense. That being said, I do think that there should be STRICT requirements for them to obtain parole. They need to show remorse for the crimes they committed and they need to be evaluated/treated by a psychiatrist to determine if they are a danger to society.