In a series of decisions issued between 2005‐2016, the United States Supreme Court relied on emerging scientific research detailing the developmental differences between children and adults to revamp its juvenile sentencing jurisprudence under the Eighth Amendment. The research established that youth’s developmental immaturity reduces their culpability for their criminal conduct, while also demonstrating their heightened capacity for change and rehabilitation. The Court focused on the most extreme sentences for youth, banning the imposition of the death penalty on youth under the age of eighteen in Roper v. Simmons (2005), and severely limiting the availability of life without parole sentences even for youth convicted of murder, in Graham v Florida (2010) and Miller v Alabama (2012). This article traces the Court’s evolution in reviewing sentences for youth in our justice system, and considers how the Court’s reasoning in these cases may influence further reforms in the justice system’s treatment of youth looking ahead.

中文翻译：

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孩子是不同的：美国最高法院针对刑事司法系统中被起诉的青少年的青年量刑实践进行了改革

在2005年至2016年之间发布的一系列判决中，美国最高法院依靠新兴的科学研究来详细说明儿童与成人之间的发育差异，以根据《第八修正案》修改其少年量刑判例。研究表明，青年人的发育不成熟减少了他们对犯罪行为的责任感，同时也表明了他们改变和康复的能力增强。法院侧重于对青少年的最极端刑罚，禁止在Roper诉Simmons（2005）一案中对18岁以下的未成年人判处死刑，并严格限制了即使没有被判谋杀罪的青年也可以不受假释而无限期地生活。 ，在Graham诉Florida（2010年）和Miller v Alabama（2012）。本文追溯了法院在审查我们的司法系统中对青年的判决方面的演变，并考虑了法院在这些案件中的推理如何影响司法系统对未来的青年待遇的进一步改革。