Teen gets 40 years for killing his four year old sister because he thought she was being abused. He calls 911 afterwards and turns himself in, confesses, and says he will accept whatever punishment they give him.

This man has mental issues and made a rash and severely poor decision that will cause significant emotional harm to many people. He committed a premeditated murder on a toddler. The whole thing is horrible, but he does not belong in jail for 40 years. Jail will not rehabilitate him and will not provide him with the mental health treatment he needs. In fact, the only thing we can be sure of is that his life will become a living hell and depression, abuse, and total isolation from friends and family will turn a sick young man into a sick and dangerous older man. When he gets out of prison, he will be 59, but with the life experience of a nineteen year old.

Our brains do not fully form until we are 25. Teenagers make bad decisions because they literally lack the ability, as well as the hormonal stability and life experience, necessary to make mature and thoughtful decisions. Juvenile detention facilities can hold youths until they are 21 and, in some situations, can decide at that time whether the youth can be rehabilitated or whether the youth must be transferred to adult prison. There are also mental health facilities that can hold this man while trying to rehabilitate him.

When we send someone to prison, we are saying that you don't get to have these years of your life and will forever wear the mark of an ex-con. We are saying you don't deserve a steady or sufficient job, that you don't deserve the respect of society, and that you don't deserve to live in a safe neighborhood. Now, there are plenty of people who deserve those things, but how can we be sure about a nineteen year old when we are willingly passing up our opportunity to try to rehabilitate him?