Opinion: What we should learn from the Menendez brothers’ plea for clemency
Thirty-five years after they first captured the nation’s attention, the Menendez brothers are back in the spotlight. These insights are crucial for understanding cases such as the Menendez brothers’, in which prolonged abuse would likely have affected their behavior. On top of the harsh sentencing many juveniles receive, it’s rare that those who are already incarcerated get adequate mental health support to support rehabilitation, reduce recidivism and promote healing. If the Menendez brothers’ crime happened today, even in New York, there would be no guarantee that a history of abuse and trauma would be factored into their sentencing. In the juvenile delinquency realm, using a compassionate, science-based framework that factors age and trauma into sentencing would reflect the justice system’s commitment to fairness and humanity.
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