🇺🇸 Why does the US allow children to face decades in prison? | The Stream

Al Jazeera English published this video item, entitled “🇺🇸 Why does the US allow children to face decades in prison? | The Stream” – below is their description.

Almeer Nance was 16 years old when he joined two other people in an armed robbery that ended in the murder of a store manager in the US state of Tennessee.

But though he did not fire the fatal shot during the attack in Knoxville in 1996, Nance was tried as an adult, convicted of felony murder, and then sentenced to a minimum of 51 years in prison. In marked contrast, another teenage accomplice received just a one-year term.

Nance’s case is the focus of Fault Lines’ new film “51 Years Behind Bars”. The documentary examines Tennessee’s strict laws on mandatory minimum sentencing for murder – which are being challenged at the state’s supreme court – and follows Nance’s family and supporters as they fight to bring him home.

While Tennessee has some of the US’s most punitive sentencing laws, other US states also take a harsh line when it comes to prosecuting juveniles – especially children and young people of colour. And the contrast between how children and young people are treated by US courts and prison systems and some other parts of the world is stark.

Recently, some US states have adopted a more progressive approach. Massachusetts in 2018 raised the age of juvenile court jurisdiction from seven to 12 – part of a wider overhaul of justice laws that have resulted in a drop in arrests and jail time for young offenders. Advocates for US reform say that adopting restorative justice is a way to rehabilitate juvenile offenders and repair the damage caused by the crime, while also tackling stubbornly high recidivism rates across the country.

In this episode of The Stream we’ll look at “51 Years Behind Bars”, ask why so many children and young people convicted of crimes in the US face such punitive sentences, and consider what reforms are possible.

Join the conversation:

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/AJStream

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/AJStream

Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe

#aljazeeraenglish

#ajstream

#unitedstates

Al Jazeera English YouTube Channel

Got a comment? Leave your thoughts in the comments section, below. Please note comments are moderated before publication.


About This Source - Al Jazeera English

The video item below is a piece of English language content from Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera is a Qatari state-funded broadcaster based in Doha, Qatar, owned by the Al Jazeera Media Network.

Recent from Al Jazeera English:

Can international justice stop israel? | inside story 1

Can international justice stop Israel? | Inside Story

A prolonged dry spell across the Indian-administered Kashmir

US march for life: Abortion rights likely issue in Nov election

In This Story: Massachusetts

Massachusetts, officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous state in the New England region of the United States.

1 Recent Items: Massachusetts

‘This is insane’: Hospital ripped for ‘woke’ policies on patient conduct

In This Story: Murder

Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. This state of mind may, depending upon the jurisdiction, distinguish murder from other forms of unlawful homicide, such as manslaughter.

2 Recent Items: Murder

20/20 ‘There Is A Monster In Me’ Preview: hundreds of pages give look inside mind of killer

Cindy Ali: Toronto woman acquitted of murdering teen daughter with cerebral palsy at retrial

In This Story: Tennessee

Tennessee is a state in the southeastern United States.

It is bordered by eight states, with Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, Arkansas to the west, and Missouri to the northwest.

The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern part of the state, and the Mississippi River forms its western border.

Nashville is the state’s capital and largest city, with a 2019 population of 670,820 and a 2019 metro population of 1,934,317. Tennessee’s second largest city is Memphis, which had a population of 651,073 and metro population of 1,346,045 in 2019.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nation’s most visited national park, is located in the eastern part of the state, and a section of the Appalachian Trail roughly follows the Tennessee–North Carolina border.

2 Recent Items: Tennessee

Son Shot by Mom’s Boyfriend in Argument Turned Deadly: ‘I Didn’t Think He’d Do It’

On The Road: Kansas, Tennessee, Clemson, Oklahoma & Louisville | Countdown to GameDay @bestwesternTV

Leave a Comment

We don't require your email address, or your name, for anyone to leave a comment. If you do add an email address, you may be notified if there are replies to your comment - we won't use it for any other purpose. Please make respectful comments, which add value, and avoid personal attacks on others. Links are not allowed in comments - 99% of spam comments, attempt to post links. Please describe where people may find additional information - for example "visit the UN website" or "search Google for..." rather than posting a link. Comments failing to adhere to these guidelines will not be published.