NY Times debates "When to Punish, and When to Rehabilitate" for juve offenders

The Room for Debate section of the New York Times has this new set of pieces discussing punishments for juvenile offenders.  Here is the sections set up:

The Supreme Court is expected to rule this month on when, if ever, it is appropriate to sentence juvenile offenders to life without parole.  The arguments this spring showed the complexity of drawing the lines between child and adult, and between justice and cruelty.

When minors commit violent crimes, should they be treated differently from adults?  Is prison effective as a punishment and deterrent for juveniles, or does it harden a young person who might otherwise recover?

Here are the contribututions, with links via the commentary titles:

• "Prison Is Too Violent for Young Offenders" by Gary Scott, inmate, San Quentin

• "In Sentencing, Remember the Victims" by Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins, National Organization of Victims of Juvenile Lifers

• "Behind Bars, Teenagers Become Prey" by T.J. Parsell, writer and human rights activist

• "Adult Punishments Should Be an Option" by Charles Stimson, Heritage Foundation

• "Prison Does Not Make Good Citizens" by R. Daniel Okonkwo, D.C. Lawyers for Youth

• "The Race Factor" by Jennifer L. Eberhardt and Aneeta Rattan, Stanford University

• "Seeing Juveniles’ Maturity, and Immaturity" by Laurence Steinberg, adolescent brain researcher

• "Teenagers Too Often End Up in Solitary" by Amy Fettig, A.C.L.U.

• "The Cost of Prison, in Dollars and Lives" by Michael Jacobson, director, Vera Institute of Justice