U.S. Supreme Court rules that use of the death penalty on juvenile offenders is unconstitutional
On Wednesday, March 1, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in the Simmons case, holding by a 5-to-4 vote that the constitutional guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment forbids imposition of the death penalty on offenders who were under the age of 18 when their crimes were committed.
The Buddhist Peace Fellowship (BPF) is very pleased with the outcome of this case and honored that we were invited to collaborate with other religious organizations on an amicus brief (friend of the court filing), which urged the Court to reach this result.
BPF's contribution to the amicus brief read:
“We oppose all executions, in keeping with the First Precept of Buddhism, which says not to harm any living thing. Furthermore, we see that executing juvenile offenders is even more contrary to Buddhist principles of compassion and the ever-present possibility of transformation than executing adults. The absence of any mention of juvenile executions in the Pali canon (a primary source for the Buddha’s teachings) underscores how inconceivable that notion was to the earliest practitioners of Buddhism. Modern society likewise understands the vulnerability of youth to the influence of others, and their need for guidance from parents and other adults. Drivers’ licenses, voting privileges, military service responsibilities, and other adult prerogatives are uniformly withheld from young people because it is commonly held that they are not ready for these responsibilities. When youth commit terrible crimes, we see that as a call for extra care, restraint, and guidance. Buddhism recognizes the possibility of transformation and rehabilitation. People can change if given the right conditions for doing so. (Traditionally in Asia troubled young people were sent to monasteries to live with monks and nuns, so that they could be raised in more wholesome and stable conditions. While this is not an option in modern secular society, it does suggest that changes in social conditions can cause a change in the person. It is noteworthy that many troubled youth have grown up on the street. Many who commit terrible crimes have themselves been abused.) That principle is even more pertinent to young people, who are still in their formative stages.”
