Waubonsee Community College

Not too young to die, produced by F. Ryden, Swedish Television

eng

videorecording

For College; Adult audiences

Not too young to die

electronic resource

784652447

produced by F. Ryden, Swedish Television

53

Criminal justice and public safety in video

The United States is one of only seven countries, including Iraq and Bangladesh, whose justice system allows the execution of juveniles convicted of crime. Today there are thirty-three juveniles on death row in eleven states. Here is a critical look at a highly controversial subject. This film takes us into death row in those states where juveniles may be executed. Each story is complicated. The youths have all committed repugnant crimes. Allen Hain locked two victims in the trunk of the car and burnt the vehicle. The victims parents express their anger and feel death is a fitting punishment. Yet we learn that Allen who was sixteen at the time of the crime, had a mental age of fourteen, came from an alcoholic family and lived on the street. His caseworker feels he could be rehabilitated. Although the United States subscribes to a U.N. international law that prohibits execution for crimes of juveniles, Attorney General Janet Reno explains that each state has the right to dictate policy on this issue. Juveniles have been executed somewhere in America since 1642. With violent juvenile crime on the upswing, is execution the answer?

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