The United States, one of the countries with the highest number of incarcerated people in the world, faces a reality that has generated controversy,

international criticism, and profound reflection on its judicial system: at least 79 minors under the age of 14 are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.The figure, revealed by human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and the Equal Justice Initiative,has sparked debate about juvenile justice and the moral limits of criminal punishment in the United States.

The cases contributing to this statistic are as diverse as they are disturbing. Some minors were charged with homicide during robberies, others with complicity in crimes where they didn’t even use a weapon. In most cases, they come from communities marked by poverty, neglect, structural racism, and domestic violence.