life without parole

Ohio made a strong move Wednesday toward becoming the 24th state to ban sentences of life without parole for crimes committed when the defendant was a juvenile. The handful or two of people already serving such sentences in Ohio, and a number of others serving de facto life sentences, could be eligible for parole if the bill is passed by the Ohio House and signed into law.

If you had to sum up the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent history in cases related to juvenile offenders, one two-word phrase would suffice: What about…? 2007: What about juveniles sentenced to death?

Legislative sessions are winding down in several states, and a flurry of juvenile justice-related legislation is now hanging in the balance: Illinois: Last week, the state senate passed a bill that would move most 17-year-old felons into the juvenile justice system.