Despite the fact they were only minors when they committed their crimes, more than 400 teens are serving life sentences in Pennsylvania prisons.
As the state with the highest number of teen lifers, 444 teen lifers are currently being held in Pennsylvania prisons, which is about a fifth of the nation's total and 110 more than runner-up Louisiana, according to a report published by Human Rights Watch.
It's a fact that's drawn concern from Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery, who called legislators to meet to examine the issue for the first time.
According to Human Rights Watch, Pennsylvania's law could be the major contributing factor to the high number of teen lifers as the law requires anyone charged with homicide, regardless of age, to be tried as an adult and has a mandatory minimum sentence of life without parole for first- and second-degree murder.
And, according to the American Bar Association's Commission on Sentencing chairman, Pennsylvania may be the only state to consider life sentences mandatory for first- and second-degree murder.