Several #SCOTUS cases dating back to 2005, have established and upheld the key differences in the maturity and accountability of system-involved youth compared to their adult counterparts, resulting in more age-appropriate sentencing, less children being sentenced to die in prison, and more states banning juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) over the last decade.⁠ ⁠ The extensive amount of research on juvenile brain science has been an important factor in these rulings time and time again “excluding people under 18 from the harshest sentencing practices.” Because of these cases, fewer youth will be sentenced to life without parole.⁠ ⁠ It's important to note, that while 28 states have outright banned #JLWOP sentences as of January 2024, #Louisiana ranks as the number one state with the most people serving JLWOP sentences per capita. Read more of this overview from our partners thesentencingproject.