JUVENILE DEATH PENALTY OPPOSED
Opinion to be shared in Supreme Court Case

Washington, DC--The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Society for Adolescent Medicine (SAM) released a joint policy statement today opposing the death penalty for juvenile offenders, which is under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Roper v. Simmons.

"We should never, ever kill teenagers," said AAP President Carden Johnston, M.D. "Regardless of the crime, rehabilitation and treatment should always be the course of action for young people at the state, federal and international level."

According to the joint statement, the vast majority of adolescents in the juvenile and criminal justice systems suffer from serious psychological and physical health problems. They are also more likely to have been victims of child abuse or neglect and to have experienced school failure or learning disabilities.

"We view the execution of juvenile offenders as the most fundamental failure of society," said SAM President Andrea Marks, M.D. "It is our responsibility to give every adolescent the support they need to grow up to lead healthy, responsible, and productive lives."

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the Roper v. Simmons case during its next session scheduled to begin in October.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.

SAM is a multidisciplinary organization of 1400 health professionals committed to improving the physical and psychological health and well being of all adolescents.