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Hurricane Helene death toll tops 200 as search and rescue efforts continue in North Carolina, community health centers in Florida struggle to serve patients as storm recovery strains resources, a new program offers Ohioans relief from medical debt, and voter advocacy groups say poor maintenance has led to inaccurate voter rolls in Indiana.

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Biden voices concerns over Israeli strikes on Iran, Special Counsel Jack Smith details Trump's pre-January 6 pressure on Pence, Indiana's voter registration draws scrutiny, and a poll shows politics too hot to talk about for half of Wisconsinites.

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Report shows NC youth left behind despite sentencing reforms

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Wednesday, August 28, 2024   

Efforts to reform juvenile sentencing in the U.S. have made significant strides but a new report showed North Carolina is not keeping up.

A study by The Sentencing Project said two in five people sentenced to life without parole were 25 or younger at the time of their crime.

Ashley Nellis, co-director of research for The Sentencing Project and the report's co-author, said brain science supports the idea people are most prone to criminal behavior in their late teens to mid-20s, a period of heightened risk-taking and impulsivity. She noted North Carolina data reflect the national numbers.

"North Carolina is a state that stands out," Nellis reported. "Ten percent of North Carolina's lifer population was under 18 at the time. That's substantial, that's 250 people. "

She pointed out the data also revealed significant racial disparities at a national level, as 52% of juveniles serving life without parole are Black.

Nellis argued it is important to extend reforms across the country as landmark court cases since 2010 have recognized minors should not be held to the same standards of culpability as adults. The rulings acknowledged youth are more susceptible to risk-taking and impulsive behavior, especially in emotionally charged situations.

"The U.S. Supreme Court has weighed in on life without parole for juveniles and severely limited the allowable use of life without parole for young people," Nellis stressed. "But they stopped short of telling the states how to implement."

The report urged policymakers to craft reforms to reflect current brain science and apply to all forms of life imprisonment and extreme sentencing. While 28 states have banned life without parole for minors and five have eliminated it entirely, North Carolina has yet to follow suit.


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