In 1996, Clifton Gibson was tried as an adult for killing a man with a firearm during a

robbery at the age of 17 years old. He received life in prison without parole plus 18
years and 4 months. (Keneally, 2019) In 2014 he formed a petition to be released from
prison which was ultimately denied. This trial has been used in the discussion of
juveniles facing life sentences. Is it right? In the eyes of the law, a juvenile or a minor is
any person under the legal adult age. This age varies based on geographical location,
but in most countries, the legal age is 18. Juveniles should not be sentenced to life in
prison for committing crimes, regardless of how atrocious said crime is because a life
sentence is inhumane because it can cause emotional trauma to a juvenile due to being
away from his/her family, the brain is not fully developed at that point and life sentences
also eliminate the “land of the free” and redemption arc that countries try to establish.

Placing a minor in prison, especially for life has emotional repercussions. As a juvenile,
there is heavy dependence on one’s parents. At this stage in life, an individual is not
fully dependent. As a result, propelling them in a new environment where their parents
are absent is detrimental. (Debeic, 2018) Placing a juvenile in prison at this time may
cause, depression, anxiety and lead to other psychotic disorders. This may lead to
heightened aggression while in prison and may possibly result in the individual taking
their own life while in prison. Allowing someone, especially one who does not legally
qualify as an adult to endure such conditions is cruel and inhumane.

Science has proven that the brain does not become fully developed until the age of
twenty-five. (Saplosky, 2018) As established previously, this age is way above the
juvenile age. At eighteen years old, the frontal lobe is still very underdeveloped. This
part of the brain is responsible for emotional expression, problem-solving, judgement
and a multitude of other functions. (n/a, 2015) How can we punish a person for life
when the part of their brain accountable for discernment and analysing problems has
not developed? How do we not know that their actions are a result of the body’s
incapability to assess a situation effectively and lawfully make a decision?

In addition to the aforementioned points, placing a juvenile in prison for life removes the
chance of redemption. Countries pride themselves on being “the land of the free” or “the
land of opportunity” yet sentence a non-adult to life. Saint Lucia, being a heavily
religious country with roots in Christianity, supports the notion of “deliverance from sin”
and that the Lord above can forgive his child for any atrocity as long as he/she is
remorseful. (Psalm 107:2) This principle should be carried to law especially when
dealing with minors. At such a young age, every person should have the chance of
redemption and to prove to themselves and others that they are bigger than their crimes
and is capable of becoming a high functioning member of society. Taking away the
opportunity for an individual to grow goes against the “second chance” concept used by
countries and is hypocritical.
Juveniles should not, under any circumstance be sentenced to life in prison. It may
cause emotional distress possibly leading to suicide, his/ her actions may be as a result
of an under-developed brain and everyone should have the chance of redemption. Joe
Sullivan, a man who was sentenced to life in prison at the age of thirteen for rape was
released after twenty-five years. Joe was a mentally disabled child and grew up in a
household where he endured physical and sexual abuse. Had these factors been
considered during the trial, his outcome may have differed. When minors commit
heinous crimes, it is more beneficial to perform psychological screenings on the said
individual as such behaviour is normally as a result of some form of childhood trauma.
With proper attention, the individual can return to society and become a contributing
factor.

References
Keneally, M. (October 2019) Life Without Parole. Abc News.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/despair-hundreds-inmates-serving-life-crimes-juveniles-
waiting/story?id=66329947

Court of Appeal State of California THE PEOPLE VS CLIFTON GIBSON. Us Law.

https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/2016/e062624.html

Saplosky, R. (October 2018) The Teenage Brain. Big Think.

https://bigthink.com/videos/what-age-is-brain-fully-developed,
https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/frontal-lobe#1

Debiec and Gavin K. (June 2018) Family Separation. Health Lab.

https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/lab-report/what-neuroscience-tells-us-about-family-
separation

King James Bible http://www.o-bible.com/kjv.html