The highest court in Massachusetts has struck down life sentences for juveniles
The ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court goes further than a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2012 that found mandatory life sentences for juveniles violated constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. The Massachusetts court said it applies to discretionary sentences as well. The ruling came in the case of a man who has been in prison for three decades for a murder he committed in Boston when he was 17. The court said he should be considered immediately for parole. Prosecutors say there are another 60 inmates who are directly affected by the court’s ruling.
