States that in the past juvenile courts afforded children with fewer rights than criminal courts accorded to adults accused of the same crimes. Reviews three U.S. Supreme Court cases that affirmed the constitutional rights of juvenile offenders and changed juvenile court proceedings. Discusses whether the juvenile death penalty violates…

Discusses whether the imposition of capital punishment on an individual for a crime committed as a juvenile constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Explores the crimes of Kevin Stanford and David Allen who were 16 and 17 respectively when they each committed murder. (CMK)

Presents a lesson on capital punishment for juveniles based on three hypothetical cases. The goal of the lesson is to have students understand the complexities of decisions regarding the death penalty for juveniles. (JDH)