266 10 Corrections and Prison Practices—Juvenile Foremics
Specifically, follow-up studies on adolescents who have been held in adult facil-
ities would provide useful information regarding their psychological functioning,
as well as their subsequent criminal behavior. Further, such analyses could then be
compared to youthful offenders who were held in juvenile facilities. This would
provide a clear illustration of the ramifications of incarcerating juveniles with adults
as opposed to other adolescents. Additionally, the exploration into alternative place-
ments for juveniles needs to continue. Finally, future research might entail an analysis
surrounding the reasons why previous litigation has failed to effectively end the in-
carceration of juveniles in adults jails, despite cases as tragic as Kathy Robbins.
Juveniles on Death Row
Introduction
Capital punishment has remained an unabated controversy for decades. The con-
stitutionality of the death penalty, the cost of capital cases and executions, and the
impact the death penalty has on deterring crime in our society have all been repeat-
edly questioned. This controversy is further complicated by the issue of sentencing
juveniles to death. There are currently three countries which allow for the execu-
tion of juvenile offenders. The United States is not only one of the three countries
permitting adolescent capital punishment, it is the leading country. Fifty-eight ju-
veniles in the United States were serving their sentences on death row as of March,
1997 (Streib, 1998). Moreover, juveniles on death row typically exhibit neurolog-
ical damage, psychoses, and suffer severe physical and/or sexual abuse as younger
children (Lewis et al., 1988). The following case illustrates the complexities involved
when a juvenile faces capital punishment.
fames Terry Roach was executed on January 10, 1986, in South Carolina, the same
state in which he was born. Terry was raised by an ill mother and a father who was
absent most of the time. Terry suffered from mental retardation with an l.Q. near 70.
He dropped out ot school early, became involved with drugs, and was diagnosed with a
personality disorder. When Terry was 16 years old, he lived in a home with unemployed
antisocial people who were involved in extensive drug use. Due to Terry's limited mental
capacities, he was easily influenced by others. When Terry was 17 years old, he was
convinced by an older housemate to spend the day riding around in a car while drinking
beer and using marijuana and PC P. The boys came upon a 17-year-old male with his
14-year-old girlfriend, both from prominent families in the community. On a signal
from his friend, Terry fatally shot the male three times. The boys then took the girl to
a secluded area where they repeatedly raped her. Terry's friend then shot and killed the
girl and he later returned to mutilate her body.
The community was outraged by the crimes, especially given the prominent status
of the victims' families. The death penalty was sought and received for both Terry and
his friend. It should be noted that Terry's court-appointed attorney was disbarred 2
years after his representation of the case for irregularities in his practice. However, his
handling of Terry's case was deemed constitutionally adequate. Despite letters to the
governor pleading for clemency from Mother Theresa and former President Carter,
