Let juvenile offenders have reason for hope

by JoAnne Talarico, Iowa Coalition 4 Juvenile Justice

I believe that the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding life-without-parole sentences for youth under the age of 18 who commit non-homicide crimes calls us to take a good look at the difference between adolescents and adults.

If we really believe that adolescents can change with proper rehabilitation, then we must revise our sentencing laws so that adolescents are never tried in adult courts. They must be held accountable for their actions.

Read the rest of the letter in the Des Moines Register