Juvenile Life Without Parole for Non-Homicide Offenses: Florida Compared to Nation

19 Pages Posted: 18 Oct 2009

See all articles by Paolo Annino

Paolo Annino

Florida State University - College of Law

David W. Rasmussen

Florida State University

Chelsea Boehme Rice

Public Interest Law Center

Date Written: September 14, 2009

Abstract

In May of 2009, the United States Supreme Court accepted two cases that raise the question of whether sentencing juvenile offenders who commit non-homicide crimes to life without the possibility of parole is cruel and unusual punishment. This report is focused exclusively on these juvenile offenders who received life without parole sentences for non-homicide crimes. It compares the sentencing trends in Florida, where both these cases originated, to the rest of the United States.

Researchers surveyed the state departments of corrections around the country and relay their findings in this report. Florida’s practice of sentencing juvenile offenders to life without parole for non-homicide crimes is unique among American states. The data presented in this report show that Florida far exceeds the rest of the nation in number of juvenile offenders sentenced to life without parole for non-homicide offenses. The total estimated number of juvenile offenders serving life without parole sentences for only non-homicide crimes in the United States is 109. Seventy-seven of these juvenile offenders are in Florida. Thirty-nine states have no juvenile offenders who have been sentenced to life without parole for non-homicide crimes.

Suggested Citation

Annino, Paolo and Rasmussen, David W. and Rice, Chelsea Boehme, Juvenile Life Without Parole for Non-Homicide Offenses: Florida Compared to Nation (September 14, 2009). FSU College of Law, Public Law Research Paper No. 399, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1490079 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1490079

Paolo Annino (Contact Author)

Florida State University - College of Law ( email )

425 W. Jefferson Street
Tallahassee, FL 32306
United States

David W. Rasmussen

Florida State University ( email )

Tallahasse, FL 32306
United States
850 556 0537 (Phone)

Chelsea Boehme Rice

Public Interest Law Center ( email )

Tallahasse, FL 32306
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
811
Abstract Views
7,104
Rank
56,075
PlumX Metrics