Recently, 13-year-old Nathaniel Abraham was convicted of second-degree murder as an adult, for an incident that occurred when he was only 11 years old.  The boy could have gotten a maximum sentence of life in prison with a chance of parole, but was instead given a sentence which could allow him to be released at age 21. 

Had he been convicted of first-degree murder, Abraham could have faced life with no possibility of parole.  According to Amnesty International, sentencing a child to life without parole violates international human rights standards.  Yet sadly, in recent years the vast majority of states have adopted laws that allow more children to be tried as adults.