NCJ Number
118152
Date Published
1989
Length
6 pages
Annotation
As of July 15, 1989, 28 persons were on death row for crimes committed under 18 years of age, the most typical age cutoff for juvenile court.
Abstract
The 28 juveniles constituted only 1.3 percent of the total death row population of 2,210. The number of juvenile death sentences totaled 11 in 1982, 9 in 1983, 6 in 1984, 6 in 1985, 7 in 1986, 2 in 1987, 5 in 1988, and 1 in 1989. Although the constitutionality of the juvenile death penalty has been the subject of intensive litigation, recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings set the minimum age for the death penalty at 16 years. Characteristics of both juvenile offenders on death row and victims are noted, and brief sketches of the 28 cases are presented by State.