Terrance Graham Research Paper

Terrance Graham was another African American teenaged boy that was sentenced to life in prison without parole just one-month shy of his 18th birthday. Terrance was convicted of violating his parole, which led to a harsh punishment of life without parole in 2006. Graham prior conviction in 2003 consists of armed robbery and a home invasion he was 16 at the time. After the armed robbery case Mr. Graham was sentenced to a year in a juvenile detention center and 3 years’ probation. Terrance Graham and two other African American males were only arrested on suspicious of a home invasion (Agyapong, children left behind bars). Based upon that home invasion charge Mr. Graham violated his probation, which led up to him to be sentenced to life without parole. According to the “Florida Department of Correction they had recommended that Terrance Graham either serve 48 months in

The court decided that the DOC recommendation was not the right sentenced. The court felt that Mr. Graham could not be rehabilitated and will continue to participate criminal activity. Terrance Graham filed a post sentenced motion challenging the Eight Amendment. He is still serving his life sentenced (Graham. Florida, p. 43). The state of Florida has CPC which stands for the Criminal Punishment Code since 1998. The Criminal Punishment is for the courts to impose sentences above their maximum sentences based on the type of crime committed (Graham v. Florida, 2008). Graham just like Sullivan also had a United States Supreme Court Session to appeal his conviction. Graham citied Roper with these three categorical difference between juveniles and adults: (1) an absence of maturity, (2) an increased susceptibility to external pressures, and (3) a less fixed and more transitory personality (Roper v. Simmons, 2005, pp. 569-570). The court felt as if these three issues were scientifically