ABSTRACT
The punishment of death is one of the most frequently and intensely debated issues in America, particularly when the offender facing capital punishment was a juvenile. This chapter will address the controversies of imposing the death penalty on juveniles. We start by summarizing the history of capital punishment for juveniles and discuss juveniles who faced execution prior to the landmark 1972 capital punishment case of Furman v. Georgia. Then we examine the late twentieth century developments including the 2005 Supreme Court case of Roper v. Simmons when the death penalty for juveniles was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Finally, we will also discuss the case law relevant to the juvenile death penalty and summarize the research that addressed public opinion and attitudes regarding the execution of juvenile offenders.
