Amicus Brief in Support of Extending Parole Eligibility to Late Adolescents

The Sentencing Project joined neuroscience, psychology, and youth justice scholars and nonprofits, in urging the California Supreme Court to extend sentencing allowances for those under 26 years old.

Brain science shows that late adolescents bear many of the same developmental traits as adolescents under age 18, including ongoing maturation and diminished culpability. In light of that research, The Sentencing Project joined neuroscience, psychology, and youth justice scholars and leading organizations for youth, including the Juvenile Law Center, the American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology, and the Pacific Juvenile Defender Center, in urging the California Supreme Court to extend sentencing allowances for those under 26 years old. Under current California law, individuals under 26 are eligible for a specialized parole hearing due to young age; but this eligibility excludes those sentenced to life without parole (LWOP).  On March 4, 2024, the California Supreme Court ruled that those sentenced to LWOP were not eligible for a specialized parole hearing due to young age, noting that this decision should be left to the state legislature.