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Life Without Parole for Juveniles Isn’t Rare in Mississippi, Despite Supreme Court Ruling

An ongoing series from the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting shows that two thirds of juveniles are sentenced to life in prison without parole, even though a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision says such sentences should be “rare.”

Shirley Smith’s investigation examined the case of Brett Jones, a Mississippi man who appealed his resentencing to the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in the case on Nov. 3. Jerry Mitchell reports on oral arguments in that case — and notes that all but one of the eight Mississippi juveniles sentenced to life without parole since the 2012 Supreme Court decision are Black.