Perceptions of Age and Rehabilitation in Sentencing Emerging Adults to Life

• In Event: Perceptions and extent of life sentences

Abstract

Emerging adults (ages 18 to 25) are incarcerated at disproportionately high rates in the United States. Although emerging adults are developmentally different from older adults in some of the same ways as juveniles, the Supreme Court has not banned the use of the most punitive sentences for emerging adults. Therefore, emerging adults can be sentenced to life in prison without consideration for their age, developmental stage, or rehabilitative potential. The public generally supports rehabilitation and less punitive sentencing for juveniles, but less is known about public opinion of emerging adult sentencing. This study explores a college student sample’s consideration of emerging adult age in their perceptions of rehabilitative potential and opinions of sentencing outcomes. Data collected from a survey using vignettes in which an emerging adult defendant was convicted of homicide were analyzed quantitatively. The findings inform policies about sentencing emerging adults and areas for future research.

Author

• Victoria Rivera Laugalis, Loyola University New Orleans