“Jail is no place to start. This is where everyone ends up and ends up being a loser in life. This is where the ball game begins and only the tough survive” (“Prison”). There are approximately 2,500 prisoners serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for a homicide committed when they were under 18 years old. More than 2,000 of them received this sentence following a mandatory sentencing program (“United States”). State laws provide a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for those convicted of felony murder. However, the Supreme Court ruled in June 2012 that mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole for juveniles were unconstitutional. Sentencing a minor to life in prison is unjust because people under eighteen do not fully understand the consequences of their actions, exposure to violence as children influences their actions, and they are not legal adults and should not be held responsible for adult consequences. "A teenager's brain is like a car with a good accelerator but a weak brake. With poorly controlled powerful impulses, the likely result is an accident." (Ritter) An adolescent does not have complete power over his or her impulses, unlike fully developed adults. “The frontal lobe includes the prefrontal cortex, which controls executive functions such as planning, decision-making, expression of emotions and impulse control. The prefrontal cortex may not be fully developed until a person is in their mid-20s. This explains why adolescents have less impulse control than adults, are less able to think about the long-term consequences of their decisions, and are more likely to do so. peer pressure. So does it make sense to punish a young person the same way we punish adults? (Harris) The brain......in the middle of paper...that's the biggest difference. Children and young adults deserve a second chance and deserve to live their lives to the fullest, not behind bars. rest of their time. Works Cited Carrizales, Alison Schultz “Miller v. Alabama (10-9646). » Law.cornell.edu. Web. December 19, 2013 Harris, Michael. “California law gives young people sentenced to life without parole another chance. » Youthlaw.org Web. December 16, 2013 “Prison Quotes” Prisonoffenders.com December 11, 2013 Ritter, Malcolm “Experts Link Immaturity of Adolescent Brains to Youth Crime.” Usatoday. Associated Press, December 2, 2007. Web. December 16, 2013. Savage, David G. “Supreme Court Makes Juvenile Life Without Parole Cruel and Unusual.” The Los Angeles Times, June 25, 2012. 2013 U.S. Constitution. Amendment VIII: “U.S. Supreme Court prohibits mandatory life without parole for juveniles. » YouthLaw.org Web December 5.. 2013