Adam Stevenson, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School and an expert in criminal law and sentencing, said while this type of sentence is extremely rare, many states are banning the practice, including Texas, Arkansas, Minnesota and Iowa.
This bill “generally follows with both the Supreme Court’s commentary that kids are different — they change, they mature, both emotionally, but also, scientifically,” Stevenson said. “It also follows the greater trends across the country.”