Bill to End California Sentencing of Minors to Life Without Possibility of Parole Receives Boost from New Report

I can't help but wonder who ever voted for these kinds of punishments. What kind of people have Americans become that we would ever think this law was right. WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?

For such a progressive population we have some of the most draconian laws when it comes to crime and punishment. Can one honestly look at a 14-17 year old and believe that he has the mind development of an adult.

Anyone who has a teenager should be shaking their heads in disbelief that we allow these kinds of things to happen in our country and in our state. I am embarrassed by what we have allowed politicians to create on our behalf. They don't speak for me. I don't think many speak for anyone but their own beliefs.

Republicans need to have the tough on crime soap box kicked out from under them. They think they know what we want. I am Republican of 35 years and am considering leaving the party along with many members of my family this year. They are completely out of touch on crime and punishment. We need complete reform through all our penal laws and punishments. It's costing us billions of dollars a year and an infinite amount in human toll.

REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS, you are losing your base because of your narrow minded draconian views. Join the human race!

I am appalled. California has become worse than a third world country.

To Quote:
"He faces an uphill battle to pass SB 999 because it must receive a two-thirds vote of both houses, meaning that he needs Republican votes".

If we don't have at least two-third of our representatives that can see two inches past their nose, they need to be recalled.

This is past inhuman.

Thank you so much for highlighting this horrible situtation. Concerning all punisment issues, we must use reasonablness and have compassion.

I wonder how many people know that Life Without Parole for these kids also means they are denied access to education and many other services - for life! Couple the conviction of youths with the fact that many are poor and do not receive an adequate defense and fair trial, then how can we in good conscience lock so many up FOREVER then treat them as if they are not human.

There was a panel held last October in California: CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON THE FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE: Minutes of Commission Public Hearing on Remedies for Wrongful Conviction. If you read this you will find that not only are there systemic problems leading to wrongful convictions, but it is a near impossible battle to right those wrongs. The tide is changing, but many prosecutors do not belong in our juvenile justice system, they are too willing to jump on the bandwagon of demonizing teens and help get sentences for those teens that are harsher than adults receive.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely accepted human rights treaty - of all the United Nations member states, only the United States and the collapsed state of Somalia have not ratified it. Life without Parole is a death sentence for children. Adult prison can be a death sentence for youth. Please listen to "If I Get Out Alive, narrated by Diane Keaton,http://www.lcmedia.com/getout.htm No child under the age 18 should be tried and sentenced as an adult. To me placing youth under the age 18 in an adult prison with hardened criminals is state sanctioned child abuse. Senator Yee has proposed this bill. It is a beginning to reform the system and I urge everyone to support this bill. I would urge that it be made retroactive. Personally, I think 25 years is too much. I believe rehabilitation within the juvenile justice system would better serve those under age 18. Many are first-offending youth committing a crime who have never been in trouble before, many have suffered horrific abuse within the family, they have suffered horrific bullying in school, they have learning disabilities or mental illness so why would we want to try them as an adult and send them to adult prison where abuse may continue? Please go sign this petition, http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/429258617

If more folks knew about these laws (probably passed in the middle of the night so no one knows about them), they would be against it. These lawmakers should be ashamed of themselves. Sentencing children (many first, time non-violent offenders with poor defense counsel) to a dismal and cruel life in a cage is beyond anyone's imagination. We need to put a stop to this. I don't think 25 years is a good solution, only a half measure and half measures never work. To a child, 25 years on prison is a lifetime and will only be unable to function upon release. Juveniles need to be in juvenile court where there are services and rehab tailored to their specific needs with the goal of turning their life around and helping them become productive members of society. Juveniles are amenable to treatment and in America we have the most qualified and educated people and professionals to work with them, but we chose to spend the money on building prisons and fueling the prison industrial complex rather than paying professionals to do what they are trained to do. Help these kids. It would be less expensive in the long run and we wouldn't be throwing young lives in the garbage and adopting third world punishments (why don't we flog them in the public square first like they do in Iran before they hang them). Treating children the way we do sentencing them to a hopeless life in prison with no hope, chance at redemption or reason to live diminishes us as human beings. It is a living death sentence. It is cruel.

If more folks knew about these laws (probably passed in the middle of the night so no one knows about them), they would be against it. These lawmakers should be ashamed of themselves. Sentencing children (many first, time non-violent offenders with poor defense counsel) to a dismal and cruel life in a cage is beyond anyone's imagination. We need to put a stop to this. I don't think 25 years is a good solution, only a half measure and half measures never work. To a child, 25 years on prison is a lifetime and will only be unable to function upon release. Juveniles need to be in juvenile court where there are services and rehab tailored to their specific needs with the goal of turning their life around and helping them become productive members of society. Juveniles are amenable to treatment and in America we have the most qualified and educated people and professionals to work with them, but we chose to spend the money on building prisons and fueling the prison industrial complex rather than paying professionals to do what they are trained to do. Help these kids. It would be less expensive in the long run and we wouldn't be throwing young lives in the garbage and adopting third world punishments (why don't we flog them in the public square first like they do in Iran before they hang them). Treating children the way we do sentencing them to a hopeless life in prison with no hope, chance at redemption or reason to live diminishes us as human beings. It is a living death sentence. It is cruel.

I have seen the difference in several kids in the california system! They have bettered themselves,have worked hard to become productive an in the whole deserve to be released.
To keep them entombed in those hell holes you call prisons is a crime unto itself! Bothe of these kids would in my estimation become productive members of society
These kids know that they have done wrong,are ready to make amends an should be given the second chance that both of them deserve!

Let's put it this way - how would you like one of these "kids" to be let out at 18 and moved in next door to you? And your kids? Would you be worried while you are not at home?

Allow me to remind you of the top four reasons why a minor might be tried as an adult in CA:

Murder and attempted murder,
Setting fire to a building with people in it,
Robbery with a weapon
Rape

Enjoy your new neighbors. Hope you your kids make friends while you are away at work.

Personally, I am actually supportive of rehabilitative efforts. But all too often, especially given CA's overcrowded prison system, these "kids" will be let out as soon as they turn 18.

To call that bill an improvement is outrageous. A child can still be sentenced 25 years to life? A minimum of 25 years? The weaker ones will be dead by then or so traumatized they'll have a hard time making it. The stronger ones will be meaner. What has happened to the U.S.?

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