Jailed for Life After Crimes as Teenagers

"About 9,700 American prisoners are serving life sentences for crimes they committed before they could vote, serve on a jury or gamble in a casino - in short, before they turned 18. More than a fifth have no chance for parole. ... The United States is one of only a handful of countries that does that. Life without parole, the most severe form of life sentence, is theoretically available for juvenile criminals in about a dozen countries. But a report to be issued on Oct. 12 by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International found juveniles serving such sentences in only three others. Israel has seven, South Africa has four and Tanzania has one." [...]

"It broke my heart," said Steven Sharp, the foreman. "As tough as it is, based on the crime, I think it's appropriate. It's terrible to put a 15-year-old behind bars forever."

What is appropriate about putting a 15-year old in prison for the rest of her life? Life without parole. That person has ceased lives social and psychic death. That person is sacrificed so that those not-sacrificed can feel free. They are among the people we "clean ourselves on." (What Toni Morrison writes that people did to Pecola Breedlove. "We cleaned ourselves on her.")

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