The Supreme Court for the first time put a broad constitutional limit on prison terms last Monday, ruling it is cruel and unusual punishment to give a young criminal a life term in prison with no chance for parole for a crime that does not involve murder.
According to FACTS (Families to Amend California Three Strikes), Justice Anthony M. Kennedy spoke on behalf of the court, and said a life prison term with no chance for parole is too extreme for a juvenile criminal whose offenses involve robbery or assault. He also said these young criminals are not entitled to a “guarantee” of eventual release, but they do deserve “some realistic opportunity to obtain release” if they can show they are no longer a danger to the community.
Actor Charles Dutton, who was convicted for murder at age 17, and served seven years in prison for various crimes agreed with the ruling, and commented on it at the the U.S. Dream Academy gala in Washington, D.C. (see video)
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