In the United States of America (USA) many states are imposing sentences of life without parole on juveniles. Those most aggressively and disproportionately targeted are minority children.

The Convention On the Rights of the Child has been ratified by 192 nations. The USA is the only country in the Western Hemisphere to impose these draconian sentences, and is only one of two countries in the world that have not ratified the United Nations Convention On the Rights of the Child.

Pursuant to the Convention On the Rights of th Child, Article 37, the imposition of the death penalty or life without parole sentences on juveniles are prohibited and constitute a human rights violation. There are over 2,000 people across the USA who are serving sentences of life without parole for crimes they were accused or convicted of committing when they were children.

The imposition of life sentences without possibility of parole on juveniles is a violation of additional international treaties which include:

• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
• United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice;
• United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency; United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment;
• American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man; and
• Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture

We reject the notion that children are dispensable or incorrigible. It is inhumane to abandon the inherent dignity of children. Life without parole sentences for children reflects a determination that there is nothing that can be done to render the child a fit member of society. It is an unforgiving sentence of permanent banishment — which rejects any concept of redemption or faith that time, treatment or hard work can promote positive change.

Through intervention, education, therapeutic programming, and genuine care, we can rescue troubled youth and help them become contributing members of society. Even the United States Supreme Court affirms this position:

"It would be misguided to equate the failing of a minor with those of an adult, for a greater possibility exists that a minor's character deficiencies will be reformed." (Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551, 125 S.Ct. 1183, 1195 (2005)

By joining this group you are calling for an end to the deplorable practice of sentencing children to life in prison without the possibility of parole, and calling on members of Congress and state legislators to abolish this human rights atrocity.
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Second Chance Legislation (SCL) in Michigan

To stay abreast of the latest developments regarding the grassroots efforts to abolish the imposition of life without parole sentences on juveniles in Michigan you are invited to visit the Second Chance Legislation (SCL) web site at:

Second Chance Legislation (SCL) Website
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Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 37(a), G.A. res. 44/25, annex, 44 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No.49) at 167, U.N. Doc. A/44/49 (1989), entered into force Sept. 2, 1990.

Those interested in learning more about the Convention on the Rights of the Child can follow the following link:

Convention on the Rights of the Child
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The Condition in the State of Michigan (USA)

Despite a global consensus that children cannot be held to the same standards of responsibility as adults, in the last twenty years the trend in the United States has been to punish children the same as adults. Children are increasingly excluded from the protection of juvenile courts based on the nature of the offense, without any consideration of their maturity, culpability, or current or future danger to society. In particular, Michigan allows a child of any age to be tried as an adult, and excludes seventeen-year-olds from juvenile treatment altogether.

These children are then subject to adult punishment, incarcerated in adult prisons, and may be sentenced to life without parole. Despite their young age, these juveniles are expected to negotiate the legal system and understand the consequences of decisions that could result in a life without parole sentence, even though research suggests they are not capable of understanding what "forever" means.

Since the 1980s, the number of children given life sentences without hope of release has increased dramatically and the cost of warehousing them for life is staggering to our communities and to our humanity. In Michigan alone, there are now more than three hundred individuals serving life without parole for offenses committed prior to their eighteenth birthday. Under current laws, none will be given a second chance. Until now, little attention has been given to who these children are and how they have been treated by the criminal justice system.
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The United Nations Commission on Human Rights has condemned the decision by the USA to continue imposing life sentences without possibility of parole on children.

February 21, 2006 the ACLU of Michigan, in conjunction with Columbia University Human Rights Clinic, filed a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Organization of American States, alleging violations of the human rights of juveniles sentenced to life without parole in the USA. That petition is still pending. A link to that petition is as follows:

Petition to Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

The case could eventually make its way to the International Court of Justice. This would occur if the U.S. Supreme Court refuses to acknowledge that the imposition of life sentences without possibility of parole on children is a violation of human rights, constitutes cruel and unusual punishment, and is contrary to the evolving standards of decency in a civilized society.
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This group, Abolish Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentences in the USA, is also available on Facebook. Members are encouraged to invite people to join both the MySpace and Facebook groups to help generate much needed attention to this important human rights issue. A link to the Facebook group link appears below:

Abolish Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentences in the USA - Facebook Group