Brain Maturation from ages 5 to 20

The above photo is from a website I found that uses time-lapse imaging to track brain maturation from ages 5 to 20.  The images are constructed from MRI scans of health children.  Red indicates more gray matter, blue indicates less gray matter.  Gray matter wanes in a back to front wave as the brain matures and neural connections are pruned.  Areas performing more basic functions mature earlier; areas for higher-order functions (emotion, self-control) mature later.  This information is interesting in the examination of juvenile offenders, because it may explain why some juveniles commit crimes.  If emotional and self-control maturation does not occur until later, some juveniles may not have enough self-control to understand the consequences of their crimes nor even the action of committing a crime itself.

I came across this website as I was researching the case of Roper v. Simmons, in which a 17 year old boy is being convicted of first-degree murder and charged with death.  The court reviewed this case, in conjunction with public opinion, and determined that the death penalty violated the 18th amendment because it constituted as "cruel and unusual" punishment for persons under the age of 18. 

I think this information is relevant to the field of developmental psychology and how our brains evolve.  As mentioned above, brain maturation affects emotions and self-control, which could provide valid arguments when assessing the maturation of juvenile criminals and whether to try them in a juvenile court or adult court.  Based on the severity of the crime I think some juveniles should be tried in adult courts; however, if they show a deficit in brain maturation and self-control, I think there is room to argue that child's drive to commit a criminal act.

Below is the link to the website that displays human cortical development up to early adulthood. It also has other interesting images that show the brain maturing as it turns from red to blue (more gray matter to less):

http://www.loni.ucla.edu/~thompson/DEVEL/dynamic.html