A Texas prisons spokesman says the state has 27 inmates who may get new sentences under a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that says states cannot mandate life in prison without parole for juvenile offenders.
Each of the inmates was convicted of capital murder. Ruling on cases from Alabama and Arkansas, the Supreme Court says life in prison for juveniles violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
The Texas inmates include 10 who were 16 or younger when they committed their crimes. Texas hasn't allowed life without parole for juveniles since 2010.
The Texas inmates may get sent back to their trial courts for new sentences. Prisons spokesman Jason Clark referred questions about those cases to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.
An Abbott spokesman declined immediate comment.
