Cyntoia Brown & the “51-To-Life” Project: South Carolina

This is the forty-first in a series of posts on the “51-To-Life” Project. In Tennessee, if a juvenile is convicted of first-degree murder, there are two sentencing options: (1) life without the possibility of parole; or (2) life with the possibility of parole, with that possibility only existing after the juvenile has been incarcerated for 51 years. In this post, I will explain why South Carolina treats juvenile homicide offenders better than Tennessee.  

In Aiken v. Byars, 765 S.E.2d 572 (S.C. 2014), the Supreme Court of South Carolina banned juvenile life without parole sentences. Therefore, South Carolina treats juvenile homicide offenders better than Tennessee.

-CM