Frontline Assignment 1 Page

Extra Credit Assignment (10 points)

Instructions: Watch the Frontline video on Blackboard

(https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/whenkidsgetlife/) and respond to the questions below.

To earn full credit, submit one full page in response to the question below (or about 300 words,

double-spaced).

The United Nations has adopted a treaty that prohibits juveniles under 18 from receiving life

sentences without the possibility of parole. However, when the U.S. ratified the treaty, it

declared an exception to the prohibition: it remains possible for juveniles in the U.S. to receive a

life sentence without parole if they are deemed "the worst of the worst," or those that commit

extremely heinous crimes.

1. How would you define the "worst of the worst"? (Explain how you came to this definition

and what this definition includes. In other words, what types of people fall into the “worst of the

worst”? What types of people are excluded? Consider things like: age/mental capacity at offense,

severity of offense, culpability, number of prior offenses, mental illness or developmental delay

at time of offense, and ability to rehabilitate/rejoin society.)

2. Do the subjects in the When Kids Get Life documentary fit your definition, which would

be deserving of a life sentence without parole? Are there some people you would exclude

from your definition of the “worst of the worst”? (Explain your answer – why or why not?

Make sure that your response makes sense according to your definition. For example, if your

definition is: “anyone who commits murder,” but you believe some youth in the video should not

be sentenced to life without parole, then explain the difference and clarify your definition.)