Less than Life
More than 160 juvenile offenders in Illinois were serving de facto life sentences in 2019, despite recent court decisions limiting life sentences for youths. Following this project, the Illinois Supreme Court issued a landmark decision that opened resentencing possibilities for many juveniles serving lengthy prison terms of more than 40 years.
Explore the project
Across the country, juvenile offenders are being released from prison based on recognition that human brains continue to develop for the first two and a half decades of life. Nevertheless in Illinois, many who commit crimes as teenagers are likely destined to die in custody.
Additional reporting
Judge cuts sentence in half for Chicago man charged with murder at 16
Dimitri Buffer was eligible for resentencing after the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in his case last year that a 41-year sentence is equivalent to life for a juvenile.
After courts order new sentence, Cook County prisoner given 39 years for murder committed as youth
An Illinois man originally sentenced to serve 100 years in prison for a murder he committed at age 16 was re-sentenced Monday to 39 years by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth J. Wadas.
Illinois Supreme Court rules that 41-year term for juvenile offender amounts to life
The Illinois Supreme Court unanimously ruled in a landmark decision Thursday that a 41-year sentence for a juvenile offender constitutes the equivalent of a life term.The decision triggers sentencing protections for juvenile offenders who are sentenced to more than 40 years in prison.
Illinois high court hears defense, prosecutor debate 50-year sentence for youth
The Illinois Supreme Court justices have the chance to decide how long is too long in sentencing juvenile offenders to prison without any hope of parole. At issue is a 50-year sentence imposed by a Cook County judge in a murder committed by a 16-year old.
Question before court: How long is too long for sentencing youthful offenders?
Following U.S. Supreme Court decisions, Illinois’ high court has already ruled a 97-year mandatory sentence for a crime committed as a youth violates the constitution. But how many years is too much time? The court this week takes up the case of a man sentenced to 50 years in prison for a crime committed as…
U.S. Appeals Court hears arguments on youth sentence of 51 years before parole
Was Cyntoia Brown, convicted of murder at age 16 and given a sentence that would make her eligible for release at age 67, given an unconstitutional life sentence?
Illinois high court to consider how much time is too much for youth crime
The Illinois Supreme Court will consider whether a sentence of 50 years without parole for a 16-year-old violates the state and federal constitutions. Courts nationwide and in Illinois have struggled with where to draw the line for crimes committed by juveniles.
Illinois Supreme Court hears argument to extend juvenile protections to age 18
The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on the legality of imposing a lengthy mandatory sentence with no hope of parole for crimes committed by a 18-year-old Darien Harris.
Project Contributors
Reporting by Emily Hoerner and Jeanne Kuang
Photos by Emily Hoerner and Jeanne Kuang
Editing by Rick Tulsky