The Supreme Court of Massachusetts has struck down life sentences without parole for juveniles as unconstitutional.  The court said that scientific research shows that lifelong imprisonment for youths is cruel and unusual because their brains are not fully developed.

The court’s decision follows a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life sentences without parole for juveniles violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The 5-4 decision came in the robbery and murder cases of two 14-year-olds in Alabama.

The United States Supreme Court said in that case that life without parole is an unconstitutionally disproportionate punishment when viewed in the context of the unique characteristics of juvenile offenders.