Supreme Court ruling could affect 56 Mississippi inmates

Supreme Court ruling could affect 56 Mississippi inmates

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that it is unconstitutional for states to require juveniles convicted of murder to be sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.

In Mississippi, 56 inmates sentenced when they were 18 or younger are serving capital murder sentences in which there is no parole, says Mississippi Department of Corrections spokeswoman Tara Booth. It is unclear right now how the ruling will affect these inmates.

The 5-4 decision is in line with others the court has made, including ruling out the death penalty for juveniles and life without parole for young people whose crimes did not involve killing.

Clarion Ledger
6/26/12