
Spring 2021
Miller v. Alabama and the Problem of Implementation
Miller v. Alabama ruled that mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles were unconstitutional. It also argued that such sentences should be restricted to those cases in which a crime reflects "irreparable corruption." However, because "irreparable corruption" was not defined and no criteria were provided to determine when such a crime has been committed these determinations have been left up to the discretion of judges and members of parole boards. Consequently, juvenile life without parole which was intended to be applied only as a punishment for crimes which reflect "irreparable corruption" is still being applied for lesser crimes in some areas of the U.S. The Supreme Court is currently deciding on Jones v. Mississippi which gives them the opportunity to remedy the issues with the Miller ruling and more concretely define what constitutes a crime that reflects "irreparable corruption" and what does not.