Lifers Admitted as Juveniles in the Canadian Prison Population

Abstract

One hundred and twenty-one Canadians were serving sentences of life imprisonment on 9 March 2012 for their involvement in crimes that had occurred prior to their 18th birthdays. Some of them had been sentenced in the 1940s and all will remain under correctional supervision for the rest of their lives. While these individuals represent a very small percentage of the total lifer population, they are of special interest given our knowledge about the culpability of children, including a growing body of neurological and social science research that associates immaturity, risk-taking, impulsivity and poor decision-making with adolescent brain development.