Editorial: Young lifers deserve at least a chance at parole
Executing juveniles is unconstitutional; shouldn't life without parole be as well?

Published 12:00 am PST Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Story appeared in EDITORIALS section, Page B6

In its landmark 2005 opinion Roper vs. Simmons, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to impose the death penalty on criminals for offenses committed when they were younger than 18. Doing so, the court ruled, violated the Constitution's Eighth Amendment prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment.

"Their own vulnerability and comparative lack of control over their immediate environments," the court majority reasoned in Roper, "mean juveniles have a greater claim than adults to be forgiven for failing to escape negative influences in their whole environment."

Read the full article:
http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/507360.html

My fiance is a juvenile lifer, as I've mentioned on this post. It is so hard for me to know that the last time he had a home cooked meal was at age 14, the same goes for Xmas, and other holidays. He is totally aware that he did a bad crime, and hurt people, and he is sorry. He just would like a chance to experience a normal life. He grew up in prison. Juveniles should have a chance to redeem themselves and be able to be normal adults unless they prove otherwise when they are free.

The whole juvenile life thing is mind boggling. How can a teenager comprehend LIFE (LWOP) in prison? Dang, at 13, 14, 15 years old I thought 30 was old. No way can a kid that age understand that they will NEVER live in the free world again. I'm not advocating letting them off the hook for their crime but some finite end make sense to me.

My husband was also sentenced to 25-life plus 4 years for a crime he was convicted of when he was only 15. He has already done 10 years. Reguardless of the crime I believe that they do desserve a second chance. They were only kids when their crimes were committed and if we let them live in this prison lifestyle there will be no hope for them. We all know that this prison system is so screwed up they have no business raising these kids trying to turn them into men. There was a bill, SB 1223 back in 2003-2004 that has just been put on hold with no activity. It says that if convicted as a juvenile and you have done 10 years or have reached the age of 25 then your case can be reviewd and you could get a sentence reduction or possibly be released. I wish they would really consider this bill not only will it give these "now" men a better out look in life, but it will also reduce this already over crowded system.