Rewiring juvenile justice: the intersection of developmental neuroscience and legal policy

Trends Cogn Sci. 2014 Feb;18(2):63-5. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2013.11.002.

Abstract

The past decade has been marked by historic opinions regarding the culpability of juveniles by the US Supreme Court. In 2005, the death penalty was abolished, 5 years later, life without parole for crimes, other than homicide, was banned, and then just last year, mandatory life sentences for any crime was abolished. The court referenced developmental science in all these cases. In this article, we highlight new scientific findings and their relevance to law and policy.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Development*
  • Brain / growth & development*
  • Brain / physiology
  • Criminal Law / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Criminals / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Emotions / physiology
  • Humans
  • Neurosciences*
  • Peer Group
  • Social Behavior
  • Social Justice / legislation & jurisprudence*