This paper discusses the evolution of the death penalty in the US and arguments for and against its application to juveniles.

The primary purpose of the juvenile justice system is to hold juvenile offenders accountable for delinquent acts while providing treatment, rehabilitation, and programs designed to prevent recidivism. Juvenile courts have recognized that there are developmental differences between adults and juveniles and advocated appropriate rehabilitative systems. However, with the passage of revised death penalty statutes and the increase in violent crimes, the juvenile justice system has seen a shift toward stronger policies and punishments. More juveniles …

…Criminal Justice Statistics - 2001 Cothern, Lynn (2000). "Juveniles and the Death Penalty". Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, November 2000. Retrieved from http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/coordcouncil Sellin, Thorsten. The Penalty of Death (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1980). Streib, Victor (2003) "The Juvenile Death Penalty Today: Death Sentences and Executions for Juvenile Crimes. January 1, 1973 - December 31, 2002" Walker, Samuel. Sense and Nonsense about Crime and Drugs: A Policy Guide. 5th ed. (Belmont, California: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning, 2001).