The US Supreme Court is considering whether to change the law so that juvenile offenders cannot be given a life sentence for crimes that do not involve murder.

Around 2,500 people in the US are serving a life-long jail term for a crime committed before their 18th birthday. Critics argue that this goes against the law, which forbids cruel and unusual punishment.

The Supreme Court is looking at two specific cases. One is the case of 13-year-old Joe Sullivan, given a life sentence for raping an older woman. His lawyers argue that he is mentally disabled. The other is the case of 17-year-old Terrance Graham, who committed an armed robbery in 2005 while on parole for a previous offence.

In 2005, the Supreme Court banned death sentences on minors. Until that ruling, convicted criminals between the ages of 16 and 18 could still be executed in southern states such as Texas and Alabama.