UN expert slams US as only nation to imprison kids for life without parole
I don't understand how anyone could think we are superior to the rest of the world when it comes to human rights. We violate human rights all the time. Police kill people with impunity, which is due in part to prosecutors that refuse to charge a police officer knowing they have to have the the cooperation of the police in all cases. We have passed laws to legally rape women who seek to control their reproductive health and terminate a pregnancy. We throw away mentally ill people on the streets or prisons without any help. We incarcerate people for life with a "three strikes" law that has put at least one person in jail for life after stealing a pizza. We have the death penalty. The death penalty is administered in horrific ways.
Though there are more ways in which the USA treats people without humanity, the worst is, IMHO, is incarceration children to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Until the 2005 SCOTUS ruling Roper v. Simmons, we actually, legally executed, 365 children, 22 of those executions took place after 1976 when the death penalty was reinstated. There are 22 states that have no minimum age to charge children as adults. With states that have an age specific law, the youngest is 10. Ten years old.
Not surprisingly, the majority of children transferred to criminal court are African American
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_as_an_adult
Surprisingly, not all transfers of children to criminal court are for violent crimes. Over 15% are for drug charges. I can't even wrap my head around putting a child in prison, with adult offenders, for drugs.
There are only 14 States and the District of Columbia that do not put children in jail for life, without the possibility of parole.
The ramifications of children being imprisoned with adults are horrific. Though there are others, the two major consequences are, they are more likely victims of crime inside and are more likely to commit violent crimes when released.
Most of the sentences imposed on these children were mandatory: the court could not give any consideration to the child’s age or life history. Some of the children were charged with crimes that do not involve homicide or even injury; many were convicted for offenses where older teens or adults were primarily responsible for the crime; 70% of condemned kids 14 or younger are children of color.
http://www.eji.org/childrenprison/deathinprison
Now the US is being singled out by the UN for the only nation that continues the practice of incarcerating children until their death.
“The vast majority of states have taken note of the international human rights requirements regarding life imprisonment of children without the possibility of release,” Juan Méndez, the United Nations special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment, said in his report, before noting that the United States is the only country to continue the practice.
A sentence of life without parole means life and death in prison — a practice considered cruel and inhumane punishment for juveniles under both international and U.S. law.
“Life sentences or sentences of an extreme length have a disproportionate impact on children and cause physical and psychological harm that amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment,” the report reads.
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/3/9/un-expert-slams-us-as-only-nation-to-sentence-kids-to-life-without-parole.html
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=0RQIVdaaOpCayATTgIHIBg&url=http://sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/jj_State_Responses_to_Miller.pdf&ved=0CBwQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNHIEYq_pUglWCySwgECzr4O7cru2w
http://fairsentencingofyouth.org/what-is-jlwop/
Many of the children sentenced to spend their entire life in prison have many problems in their lives, from mental illness to physical and/or sexual abuse. In some states those circumstances are not even taken into account.
This should be something we fight to change in all states that have not changed laws after the Miller decision. If your State allows a child to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, then changing that law should be a major consideration in all elections at the State level.
This is so much more than an embarrassment. We wonder why we have problems of violence and racism in our country. We need only look to how we treat our children.
More links with good information.
http://ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/structure_process/qa04105.asp?qaDate=2011&text=
https://www.aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform-human-rights/us-looks-overseas-human-rights-abuses-and-ignores-un-report-cr
= new reply since forum marked as read
I was surprised there wasn't already a post about this. At least not one I could find. But then I thought about our MSM.
How do they not report this? 
Great! Welcome to the club 
Nice to see you.
