Lifers

When debating America's stance towards the death penalty, an argument often trotted out is the company we keep: our death penalty policy is most closely aligned with such luminous states as Iran and China. But there is another area of punishment in which America truly does stand alone. As of 2008, there were 2,381 child offenders who were serving life sentences without parole in the United States. This is out a worldwide total of .... 2,381. The United States of America is the only place in the entire world to sentence juveniles -- some as young as 13, many convicted of crimes other than homicide -- to this punishment.