“Michigan has sentenced more children to life without parole than any other state in the United States. Considering that the U.S. is the only nation that permits this barbaric practice at all, this means that the State of Michigan has condemned more children to die in prison than anywhere else on the globe.
“The rest of the world and the majority of U.S. states agree that sentencing children to die in prison is wrong. It is also wrong that 90% of life without parole sentences imposed on children in Michigan since 2012 have been imposed on children of color. It is wrong that Michigan has failed over the past decade to end this sentence despite the fact that polls show overwhelming support against sentencing children to die in prisons.
“But we are happy to report that with the introduction in the Michigan Legislature of Senate Bills 119-23 and House Bills 4160-64, this year our state has an opportunity to right these wrongs.
“We both know a little about righting wrongs.
“We are two of the hundreds of children that were once sentenced to die in Michigan prisons, serving a combined 67 years as we were each convicted of first-degree murder. It pains us to say that when we were kids, we were separately responsible for the loss of lives — lives we can never give back. Our actions are tragic examples of harm committed by children and representations of the ways in which youth with high levels of trauma are more prone to committing serious crimes. Yet today, we stand as shining examples of the ways children can transform their lives.”
In the Detroit Free Press, Leading with Conviction 2023 cohort member Ronnie Waters and co-author Jose Burgos write that no child should be sentenced to die in prison. As the “track record” for the “more than 98.86% of former juvenile lifers [who] age out of crime and lean into a positive future,” Waters and Burgos say the vast majority of these youth help build stronger communities. By passing SB 119-23/HB 4160-64, the Michigan legislature can finally join over half of the country and the rest of the world in banning life sentences for children.
In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!
We are preparing for our very special 10th anniversary gala in New York City on October 21st, and we would love for you to be there with us.
This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!
We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By purchasing a $50 streaming ticket, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”
Please plan now to join us in person or give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!
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