For Immediate Release January 29, 2013

Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth applauds Governor Patricks juvenile justice proposal, encourages him to do more
(January 29, 2013) -- The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY) applauds Gov. Deval Patricks efforts to craft a proposal that would reform the ways that Massachusetts holds children accountable when they cause harm to others and encourages him to go farther. Gov. Patricks proposal seeks to bring the states sentencing structure for children convicted of murder into alignment with the recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court prohibiting mandatory life without the possibility of parole for children. The proposal is a step forward in holding youth accountable in an ageappropriate way. We are especially encouraged that the bill would require that anyone younger than 18 who is accused of a crime be tried in juvenile court by raising the age of criminal responsibility from 17 to 18. The Governors proposal would represent a significant improvement in the way that Massachusetts deals with children convicted of serious crimes said Jody Kent Lavy, Director & National Coordinator of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. We are heartened by the Governors leadership in scaling back the harsh sentencing scheme imposed on children in Massachusetts, which is among the most extreme in the country in its disregard for the youthfulness of the offender. Governor Patricks robust proposal appropriately includes provisions that will allow sentencers to consider the unique characteristics of children that make them less culpable and more capable of change. However, we are disappointed that his proposal retains life without the possibility of parole as a sentencing option for children, bucking a trend and support from diverse allies to move away from this unnecessarily harsh practice. The United States is the only country in the world that sentences children to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In addition, there are significant racial disparities in the imposition of the sentence, with black youth 10 times as likely as white youths to be sentenced to life without parole. Nationwide, an estimated 59 percent of people serving life without parole sentences for crimes committed when they were younger than 18 received the sentences for their first-ever offenses. In addition, more than 25 percent of people serving the sentences were convicted of felony murder or accomplice liability, meaning they were not the primary perpetrators of the crime, and may not have even been present at the time someone was killed. More than 100 law enforcement, child welfare and faith-based organizations have publicly expressed their opposition to these extreme sentences for children. Among them are the Boy Scouts of America, the National Black Police Association and the National PTA. --END--