Pertaining to juvenile justice, blameworthiness. Nearly all crimes are defined both by the particularity of the harmful behavior and how much blame one can assign to the offender. Juveniles may be found to be not blameworthy for their actions due to youth, immaturity, a mental health disorder, or an intellectual disability. And, the United States Supreme Court recognizes that, as a class of offenders, juveniles are not as culpable for their actions as adults and therefore cannot be subjected to the most severe punishments reserved for the worst criminal offenders. (JLC.org)
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