A twist on a life sentence
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"Justices will scrutinize life sentences for youth," Robert Barnes reported [front page, Oct. 29].
I take a dim view of very long or life jail sentences for youngsters, particularly middle to late teenagers. Such sentences waste time and pervert the most formative years in the offenders' limited lifetimes.
A more effective way of dealing with the most heinous child or adolescent crimes, the ones for which defendants are tried as adults, would be revising the meaning of life sentence. The life sentence should reflect the age of the child, and what better way than making this sentence match the age of the child, e.g., 13 years maximum for a 13-year-old and 19 for a 19-year-old.
This punishment is a more reasonable life sentence for a pre-adult. It would be more than long enough (and probably even overly long) for potential rehabilitation and certainly long enough to serve as a deterrent to others. Any time in jail longer than a child has already lived is reflective of revenge rather than of justice.
Leo Silvan, Locust Grove, Va.
