The right to life...for kids

There are some things that pain me to my very core, and one of those things is locking away our youth for life. Thankfully we no longer execute children, but is locking them up until they die any more humane?

I'm not looking at this from a political standpoint, but as a fellow human with the understanding that we are all equal and should be treated so by society and the justice system.

The brain isn't fully matured until our early 20's and neuropsychological research shows that during the adolescent years the human brain is rewiring and reintegrating itself leaving the executive functions and reasoning abilities highly susceptible to environmental and peer influences.

So do we lock children away forever, or do we work with them to try and help these kids make positive changes for themselves and become responsible adults who contribute to society?

Last week Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative argued sentencing juveniles to life in prison before the Supreme Court of the United States and has a very interesting and logical discussion on the topic on MSNBC. What is your opinion on the matter?

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Just something to think about.