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 The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled unconstitutional mandatory sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole for people under age 18 when they committed murder in a ruling that could affect nearly 2,500 young prisoners, Chicago Tribune said.

By a 5-4 vote, the high court ruled the U.S. Constitution forbids such a mandatory sentencing scheme for juvenile murderers. Conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy joined the liberals while the more conservative members dissented.

The ruling was a major victory for convicted juvenile murderers from Alabama and Arkansas who argued that life imprisonment without the possibility of parole violated the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

The ruling could affect nearly 2,500 prisoners serving sentences of life in prison without parole for murder committed under the age of 18. The United States has more than 2.2 million inmates in prisons or jails.