The United States, known for having one of the highest incarceration rates globally, currently has at least 79 children under the age of 14 serving life sentences without the chance of parole—a fact drawing international outrage and deep scrutiny of the U.S. justice system.

According to groups like Human Rights Watch and the Equal Justice Initiative, many of these children were involved in serious crimes, including homicides during robberies. Yet, others were convicted as accomplices—some without ever wielding a weapon. Most come from backgrounds shaped by poverty, abuse, systemic racism, and broken homes.

One of the most well-known cases is that of Lionel Tate, sentenced at 12 for killing a 6-year-old during a play-wrestling incident. Though his sentence was later reduced, his story ignited a national conversation about whether children should ever be punished as adults.

These cases continue to challenge the moral boundaries of justice—and what it means to give a child a second chance.