1、CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebari i Jones v. Mississippi, the Eighth Amendment, and Juvenile Life Without Parole April 26, 2021 On April 22, 2021, the Supreme Court decided Jones v. Mississippi, holding that the Eighth Amendments ban on cru
2、el and unusual punishments does not require a finding that a juvenile offender is permanently incorrigible before the juvenile may be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. This Sidebar provides a basic discussion of the Eighth Amendment jurisprudence related to juvenile life
3、 without parole sentencing, then outlines the majority opinion, concurrence, and dissent in Jones. A previous Legal Sidebar provided additional background on the issue of juvenile life without parole sentencing, outlined the relevant precedents that the Supreme Court considered in Jones, and discuss
4、ed the legal arguments presented in the case. The Eighth Amendment The Eighth Amendment provides: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” The Supreme Court has interpreted the Eighth Amendment to impose a categorical ban on th