PETITION IN SUPPORT OF HR4300 - ENDING JUVENILE LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE
The United States is the only nation on earth that sentences its children to life without parole (LWOP). We have nearly 2500 children sentenced to die in prison, including some as young as 13. Children are NOT adults. All studies show that teen brains are not fully developed, and that they do not have the maturity to always make rational, reasoned decisions. The United States Supreme Court stated that children should not be held to the same level of culpability as adults.
HR4300 would give children sentenced to life the opportunity for parole once in 15 years.
We support HR4300.
TO THE HOUSE SUB-COMMITTEE ON CRIME, TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY
A PETITION FROM ELIGIBLE U.S. CITIZEN ELECTORS IN FAVOR OF HR 4300
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHING A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR PAROLE FOR CHILD OFFENDERS.
(a) In General- For each fiscal year after the expiration of the period specified in subsection (d)(1), each State shall have in effect laws and policies under which each child offender who is under a life sentence receives, not less than once during the first 15 years of incarceration, and not less than once every 3 years of incarceration thereafter, a meaningful opportunity for parole. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall issue guidelines and regulations to interpret and implement this section. This provision shall in no way be construed to limit the access of child offenders to other programs and appeals which they were rightly due prior to the passage of this Act.
(b) Definition- In this section, the term `child offender who is under a life sentence' means an individual who--(1) is convicted of an offense committed before the individual attained the age of 18; and (2) is sentenced to a term of natural life, or the functional equivalent in years, for that offense. (c) Applicability- This section applies to an individual who is sentenced on or after the date of the enactment of this Act as well as to an individual who had already been sentenced as of the date of the enactment of this Act. (d) Compliance and Consequences-
(1) COMPLIANCE DATE- Each State shall have not more than 3 years from the date of enactment of this Act to be in compliance with this section, except that the Attorney General may grant a 2-year extension to a State that is making a good faith effort to comply with this section. (2) CONSEQUENCE OF NONCOMPLIANCE- For any fiscal year after the expiration of the period specified in paragraph (1), a State that fails to be in compliance with this section shall not receive 10 percent of the funds that would otherwise be allocated for that fiscal year to that State under subpart 1 of part E of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3750 et seq.), whether characterized as the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Programs, the Local Government Law Enforcement Block Grants program, the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, or otherwise. (3) REALLOCATION- Amounts not allocated under a program referred to in paragraph (2) to a State for failure to be in compliance with this section shall be reallocated under that program to States that have not failed to be in compliance with this section.
The United States is the only nation on earth that sentences its children to life without parole (LWOP). We have nearly 2500 children sentenced to die in prison, including some as young as 13. Children are NOT adults. All studies show that teen brains are not fully developed, and that they do not have the maturity to always make rational, reasoned decisions. The United States Supreme Court stated that children should not be held to the same level of culpability as adults.
HR4300 would give children sentenced to life the opportunity for parole once in 15 years.
We support HR4300.
TO THE HOUSE SUB-COMMITTEE ON CRIME, TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY
A PETITION FROM ELIGIBLE U.S. CITIZEN ELECTORS IN FAVOR OF HR 4300
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHING A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR PAROLE FOR CHILD OFFENDERS.
(a) In General- For each fiscal year after the expiration of the period specified in subsection (d)(1), each State shall have in effect laws and policies under which each child offender who is under a life sentence receives, not less than once during the first 15 years of incarceration, and not less than once every 3 years of incarceration thereafter, a meaningful opportunity for parole. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall issue guidelines and regulations to interpret and implement this section. This provision shall in no way be construed to limit the access of child offenders to other programs and appeals which they were rightly due prior to the passage of this Act.
(b) Definition- In this section, the term `child offender who is under a life sentence' means an individual who--(1) is convicted of an offense committed before the individual attained the age of 18; and (2) is sentenced to a term of natural life, or the functional equivalent in years, for that offense. (c) Applicability- This section applies to an individual who is sentenced on or after the date of the enactment of this Act as well as to an individual who had already been sentenced as of the date of the enactment of this Act. (d) Compliance and Consequences-
(1) COMPLIANCE DATE- Each State shall have not more than 3 years from the date of enactment of this Act to be in compliance with this section, except that the Attorney General may grant a 2-year extension to a State that is making a good faith effort to comply with this section. (2) CONSEQUENCE OF NONCOMPLIANCE- For any fiscal year after the expiration of the period specified in paragraph (1), a State that fails to be in compliance with this section shall not receive 10 percent of the funds that would otherwise be allocated for that fiscal year to that State under subpart 1 of part E of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3750 et seq.), whether characterized as the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Programs, the Local Government Law Enforcement Block Grants program, the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, or otherwise. (3) REALLOCATION- Amounts not allocated under a program referred to in paragraph (2) to a State for failure to be in compliance with this section shall be reallocated under that program to States that have not failed to be in compliance with this section.
Dear Honorable Members of the Sub-Committee,
I encourage each of you to closely review and support this Bill which requires states to enact laws and adopt policies to grant child offenders who are under a life sentence a meaningful opportunity for parole at least once during their first 15 years of incarceration and at least once every three years thereafter. This law defines a child offender who is under a life sentence as an individual who is convicted of a criminal offense before attaining the age of 18 and sentenced to a term of natural life or its functional equivalent in years.
Honorable Members, in the United States children are prohibited from buying cigarettes, consuming alcohol, seeing certain movies unless in the presence of an adult, cannot serve on juries, cannot vote, cannot marry without parental consent, are not allowed to leave home and live alone, leave school, cannot make certain decisions relating to their medical treatment or education, cannot sign contracts, purchase firearms or be drafted in to military service.
They can, however, be sentenced to life in prison and its equivalent in years without the possibility of parole, a sentence reserved for those people in our society for whom there is considered to be no redemption. Do you agree that children are beyond redemption? Juvenile life without parole sentences ignore the very real scientific facts and social differences between children and adults, abandoning the concepts of redemption and second chances upon which this country was built. Psychoanalytical studies have shown that children lack the capacity to both understand and control their actions, which reduces culpability. The human brain does not reach its full capacity in the frontal cortex, the area of reasoning, until age 25.
The U. S. disproportionately sentences child offenders to LWOP. With an estimated 2,380 child offenders serving the sentence, and 42 of the 50 states and the federal government permitting the sentence, the U.S. is home to over 99% of youth serving the sentence in the world. 10 states set no minimum age and 12 states set a minimum of 10-13 years of age and 16% who receive this sentence are indeed of this young age. Of great concern are the tremendous racial disparities among the populations receiving the sentence. Finally, it is your responsibility as our leadership to be acutely aware of the unthinkable fact that adult prisons are especially harsh on juveniles. The suicide rate for juveniles in adult facilities is 8 times that of juveniles in detention facilities.
I honor Representatives Scott and Conyers for their courage in proposing HR 4300. I encourage you, Honorable Members of the Sub-Committee, to begin to do the hard work in discerning where justice truly lies concerning the youth of America. Please help HR 4300 on its way to the full House.
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I do not believe that children should be able to be sentenced to life without possibility of parole, even for heinous crimes. It will not bring back the victim and the child had no chance for redemtion.
Life without parole is death by incarceration. Decades of hopelessness is cruel and unusual punishment. Please stop this unthinkable practice. If we are a Christian nation, where is forgiveness?
Of all the people that live in this world and whom have somehow found themselves of the beaten path, our children should be given a second chance to turn thier lives around. Please take the time to get to know some of these children and what many have lived through. Once you understand what many have lived through, then it makes sense to give them at least a chance to turn thier lives around.
Torey is a good friend of my brothers and I would also call him my friend! We love him alot and will support him in anyway we can!
PLEASE DON'T SENTENCE OUR CHILDREN TO DEATH!
I certainly believe that these teens need a great deal of counseling and support. They do NOT need to be imprisoned with hard-core criminals so they CANNOT be reformed. Some how the parents may be responsible for the childrens' upbringing or these teens were not taught to practice the right approach to life, instead of choosing to "hang around with the wrong crowd." They need help, not condemnation.
HR4300 should be amended to include and provide for first time youthful offenders to the age of 25. Young adults to the age of 25, much like juveniles, still lack the maturity and ability to make correct moral and logical decisions. Rather, many of their decisions are impulsive and incorrect, sometimes leading to incarceration for life - it should also be mandated that such first time youthful offenders be given a second chance.
Myself along with: Fundamental Fairness First! Supports the passage of this legislation.
To whom it may concern: I have a 17 year old son that was put on paper at the age of 12 for defending himself against a 16 year old boy in a regular fist fight. But because of my sons size (he was bigger than the 16 year old) he would have been sent to a juvenile facility if we didn't have about 7 witnesses. So I would appreciate it if we can make change in life for our children which will be our young adults.
I agree with these proposals depending on the seriousness of the crime, in which case, more than 3 years thereafter.
children should have total different trial's from adult which they are require to take mental health class, & counsling to understand their actions.
Children are not adults, How and why do you want to treat them as such.
Why would you want kids, KIDS to die in prison? Thats just wrong. Kids are our future! I cant belive that 2,500 kids are dieing in prisons. This is wrong. Even some as young as 13? I can NOT belive that. I never thought our country would be so low!
I urge you to support any legislation that would give children sentenced to life another chance. Please help!
God Please be fair to these kids
All children have the right to rehabilitation. As a social worker, I see children abused and victimized every day. The children who committ violent crimes are a product of the environment they were brought up in and deserve a chance to make their lives right. The money spent on daily care in jail could be used for counseling and rehabilitation.
If they have improved their lives by being ticket free, taking college classes, working a job, and following the rules, let them out when they turn twenty one years of age. Everyone deserves a second chance!!
Ask yourself this haven't you've done things as a child or teenager that you wouldn't do as an adult, because now you can comprehend and understood why it was wrong? I'm sure some of you as children have made fun of someone , has stolen a piece of candy or something, has wrote graffiti on someone's wall, has cheated on a test or have done something that is wrong. Even though you may argue that those things are not as "extreme" or big as killing someone , is it not with the same child mind that we do these things no matter how big or small? Do you really think that any of us are any different from these children?. To add on top of their inability to fully comprehend and grasp doing something that isn't right, most of these children have been abused or haven't been raised well. Do you really think you have a clear, stable, or hopeful mind when your being tortured and no one is helping you? I do believe that people do have to be reprimanded when they do something wrong or make a mistake , but I believe it is to a certain degree ( especially for children ) and that giving someone a life sentence is not the right nor moral way. To add - is it not also that God wishes us to help and love those who have made mistakes, done something wrong, or who are strangers (or even enemies) to us? We should not continue this cycle of hurting on another, especially these children. Remember this- any one of us could of been those children, it just happens to be with the grace of God we weren't.
We have a special interest in this petition because we are supporting Ruth Ann Veal an inmate in Mitchellville, Iowa. She was convicted at age 14 and in July turned 30 years old in prison. Where she is serving LWOP
The Bible says, "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child...". Our government recognizes that children under the age of 18 are not capable of making legal decisions as an adult. We do not allow them to drink, sign legal contracts, or leave their parents home and be on their own. We recognize they are incapable of making adult decisions, yet when they commit a crime, we ignore this fact and sentence them to life in prison with no chance for parole. This is an injustice that we are morally obligated to end.
Teenagers are still to young so they cannot differentiate what is right or wrong.They should be kept in Rehabilation centres instead so that they have an oppurtunity to improve their lives.
Everyone deserves a second chance.
I am strongly against children getting life sentences. In addition, If its a serial killer than review the case. But please don't take people lives away.
As a mother and person employed in Child Welfare, I understand the emotional and cognitive immaturity of youth. I believe it unfair to hold children to the same standards as we hold adults. I find it ironic that persons cannot legally drink alcohol or gamble until they are 21 and 18 years old respectfully, yet they can be sentenced to life without parole.
It is amazing how we do not let children enter into legally binding contracts due to age. We don't expect them to have the maturity to enter into financial agreements, yet they can make a decision that locks them up for the remainder of their life.
This is a complete outrage that they would sentence our youth to life without parole. I have a friend who has been in prison since he was 15 he is now 31 I can tell you that I have changed alot in 15 years and the fact that he is still in prison is ludacris! Please change this law for the youth for the familys.
