The Science of the Teenage Brain
Research consistently shows that adolescents are different from adults when it comes to criminal culpability. The prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and long-term planning—continues developing into a person’s mid-twenties .
Key differences include:
Greater impulsivity and emotional decision-making
Less ability to plan for the future or consider long-term consequences
More susceptibility to peer influence
A greater capacity for change, because character is still forming
As the Supreme Court recognized in Roper v. Simmons, which banned the death penalty for juveniles, “The differences between juvenile[s] and adult[s]…are too marked and well understood to risk allowing a youthful person to receive the death penalty despite insufficient culpability” .
The Supreme Court’s Shifting Stance on Juvenile Life Without Parole
Since 2005, the Supreme Court has progressively limited the harshest punishments for juveniles.
2005 – Roper v. Simmons: Abolished the death penalty for minors .
