Blog

On this page we invite the public to make comments and share stories on issues related to teen killers and their victims.

  • Dora Larson

    While so many people want these young killers freed because they were just ‘children’, I wish they could understand the sorrow I feel each new year without my child. The years have eased the deep pain, but with the passing of an old year brings the same dull ache and the what ifs. I will never stop working until the battles are done and the teen monsters stay behind bars. Then JUSTICE will be served!

  • David E. Hanson

    After having retired from Folsom State Prison, as a Correctional Counselor, I have determined that simply having many years of experience in dealing with prison inmates on a daily basis, does not make me an “expert” on the conditions of prison confinement. However, I have also determined that my experiences over the years, have provided me with a close and personal understanding of conditions of confinement. If I can provide answers to anyone’s questions regarding this area of controversy, please contact me through this facility. The magnitude of the issue is made more complex as a result of the tremendous human emotions connected to its every aspect. I will make every effort to be aware of the pain you have suffered. DEH

    • Cris Hall

      Hi my best friend/Brother was one of these teens to lwop he was 16 years old. He was with an adult who actually commited the murder but do to the “Dont Snitch” Street code and his gang affiliation. He never spoke. He was give. Life at 16 years old and never spoke. See where were from if he did he would have been killed on the streets so he felt his life was gone already. So why I hear the families refer to these teens sentenced to lwop. My friend was a victim too
      . And the system failed him. What about those kids who grow up under the umbrellas of gang intimidation with no way out but death? My friend is now 36 and has still sits in a state pen. So if sb9 passes he may get part of his life back. His mistake was joining a gang cause he felt he had no choice. No one thinks of those youths. It’s just easier to call them monsters. I’m in the process of starting a non profit for those children and youths who have no voice or cannot be heard.

      • Cris Hall

        There are no winners in these situations. I feel for the families who have lost a loved one. My family lost a loved one too. The sad part is,
        Allot of these teens commutes crimes with adults and recieved a longer sentence. Each case should be looked at individually . The same man some may call a monster, educated himself while incarcerated. And that was without the states money because he has no privaledges. That was through his own determination, and love and support from his family who send him the books to learn and educate himself. And a 16 year olds mentality is
        definately not the same as a 36 year olds. Some of these men
        may be monsters but don’t put all youths that were sentenced to
        lwop in that category. Some really don’t deserve it.

        • jbjenkins

          Cris – thanks for posting and we wanted to add that many NOVJL victims families strongly support the “case by case” model you mention. I certainly never call anyone, even a killer, a “monster” because that dehumanizes them. They ARE human beings too. It was their ability to dehumanize their victims that allowed them to kill them. I will not do that. We also do not think that all teen killers should get LWOP. Most should not, as a matter of fact. But for those rare cases of sociopaths who will never be able to safely walk among us, and where the victims family is therefore entitled to some legal finality, we know it should remain available.

      • http://www.JLWOP.com Christina Sartin

        Hi my name is Christina sartin, and my loved one is also one 0f those teens sentenced to LWOP 13 years ago. He is now 30 years old and is still in the state pen. When I heard about this web site I had to check into it. When it opened and I seen the pictures of the two young men… I was Revolted!! In my opinion that is descrimination against those two young men, and that is all I will say about that. But Cris I have read your blogs and I like where your going on the Non-profit for children and youths. Although, I was revolted as soon as I opened the website and seen someone actually singled out these two young men, I’m glad I kept looking into it and seen your blogs. My Fiance ( teen that is serving lwop) and I have been discussing I starting a similiar non-profit organization. I would like to hear some of your ideas and share with you some of ours. Please feel free to contact me at christina_sartin@yahoo.com.
        Thank you, have a blessed day!

  • Jody Robinson

    I wish the advocates for these offenders would take 1/2 a minute to look at or sit down with the victims of these violent offenders and see exactly how re-traumatizing their propaganda is for the victim. I am so tired of hearing them say “well it may not be the truth, but we are advocating.” Like that should make it ok.

  • Daniel Horowitz

    I am always amazed at the incredible attention that is paid to the supposed plight of violent criminals. Why is it that the same people who wax poetic about how “there but for fortune” we could be killers too, seem to lack any GENUINE compassion for the victims and their families?

    I think that for these people the real pain felt by victims is too real and too intense. One can live a fantasy that violent criminals are just like you and me except for bad luck. Then one can become a hero, jousting for justice.

    It is a self indulgent fantasy. Most, albeit not all, violent criminals are formed by a variety of conditions including genetics. Once they have been formed there is little that can be done for many of them.

    Violent crime prevention includes supporting strong families, good schools, standards of conduct and personal responsibility. It does not follow that to be treating a killer like a wounded bird we are somehow touching the heart of the killer and healing through love. We are simply opening the gates of hell and pushing their next victim in.

  • Kimberly A. Sorensen

    My son, Dan, had just turned 26 when his life was taken. His killer was 17, the only accomplice who was charged was 18. Why should my son’s life be over and the one who took it be given a chance to live freely amongst the rest of us? I don’t care if he could be “rehabilitated” or not. He took a life! Doesn’t the value of life matter, anymore? If a crime is committed, then the attached penalty should be paid…in full. Also, kids are not “kids” as we remember them from the past. We see increasing numbers of our youth committing heinous crimes. It’s sad to note that most of them are left without remorse for the devastation they have left behind, Dan’s killer included. After Dan died, that vile boy said, “He sure made a mess”, and proceeded to use Dan’s severed head as a puppet. I know it’s difficult to think of putting a teenager in prison for life, but how many more innocent people have to serve lifetime sentences of pain and sorrow before those who seek to free these offenders understand the consequences? I’m certain that if someone they loved suffered the fate that Jody Robinson’s brother did or that my son did, their opinion would take a 180 degree turn.

    • Jody Robinson

      Kim,

      I completely agree that anyone who has suffered a loss as we have would have a completely different outlook on this…… And I am hopeful through our website and all our efforts we will make a difference and even those who have never suffered a loss will understand this in a completely new light.

    • Susan Snediker

      I agree too and am very sorry for your loss.

  • David Hanson

    Myths. How do you correct well established myths about the mysteries which have attached themselves to the issue of prison confinement? I will discuss my experiences, as a Correctional Counselor at Folsom State Prison, and let the reader determine their value. When an inmate is confined, it is commonly believed that he sits in a cell in isolation, and remorse. Inmates have a life in prison: They make and enjoy friendships with others like themselves, work, go to school, play games on the yards, and in general enjoy most of the activities enjoyed by persons in free society, except they are guaranteed free medical care. They also have their rights to free meals, which are mandated to be nutritious, tasty, and served in a positive pleasant manner even if they are confined in isolation type housing.

    • Susan Snediker

      …which is exactly why, anyone who takes a life, especially in cold blood, and with zero remorse, deserves to stay in prison with NO possibility of parole, ever.

  • http://jlwop.com Kerry Draper

    I am one of those people you speak of often, a supporter of ending extreme sentences for juveniles. I have a son sentenced at 16 to life without parole.

    There is no excuse, no explanation or understanding that can be reached in these horrific crimes. Each time I looked at the victims in court I felt sick. I tried to think of how I would feel, I could not. I cannot imagine the pain, the loss, the feelings of hopelessness. The only thing I may understand is how a victim must feel regarding people like me and my son. There will never be a sentence worthy of the loss. The fact that I can see and talk with my son lessens the extent of justice.

    I would be naive to argue that if I were a victim I would have forgiveness in my heart. The act of forgiveness may be beyond my comprehension. I am a parent willing to do almost anything for my son. I would change places with him if I could. I am no different than many of you. I have lost my child, not to the grave but to the penitentiaries. I am haunted each day with the reality of the hell my son is living in. Regardless, I understand he is alive and the victims are not.

    I am deeply sorry for your loss.

    God bless,
    Kerry Draper

    • jbjenkins

      Kerry – How very kind of you to reach out to us with your words of sympathy and support. Our hearts break for you as well. There are no words for the pain that we both have had to bear. We welcome dialogue with the families of offenders, and believe that there may be much common ground as we seek the best possible public policy regarding the issue of teen killers. We welcome conversation with you, and we hope that it would lead to better understanding and better policies for public safety. We know that offender advocates are often very well-meaning people and, in your case, totally understandable. But we feel sure that you would not want to bring a lifetime of torture to innocent and devastated victims families either. Its a very tough problem. More than anything, we all should be working together to prevent these kinds of tragedies from ever happening to anyone else again. Wouldn’t a national high school speaking tour pairing victims and offenders’ families trying to talk to young people about avoiding violence be a powerful thing? Let us know if you want to talk further. And thank you again for posting.

      • Kerry Draper

        I agree, as much as I would love to see my son have a second chance, the bigger issue is prevention. Talking with high school students and their parents could very well be the best approach.

        I would very much be open to talking further and doing anything I can to work towards preventing these horrible crimes. We will never fully recover but if we can save one family from this devastation, we may all get closer.

        Kerry
        http://www.jlwop.com

  • jbjenkins

    We are grateful to media personality Diane Dimont for her recent blog “Digging Deeper on Teen Killers” and we encourage everyone to read it at http://www.creators.com/opinion/diane-dimond/digging-deeper-on-teen-killers.html

  • jbjenkins

    Thanks to Cully Stimson, Senior Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation and leading national legal expert on the issue of sentencing teen killers, for his Foundry Blog post copied below calling out Human Rights Watch and the National Conference of State Legislators for repeating faulty numbers of the number of cases of JLWOP – juvenile life without parole – teen killers sentenced to life as adults in the USA. Read the post also at: http://blog.heritage.org/2011/02/16/human-rights-watchs-deception-lives-on/

    National Conference of State Legislatures Sloppy Research
    Posted February 16th, 2011

    You could be forgiven for thinking that an organization called the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) would provide the public with accurate statistics from the states. But the group has put its credibility at risk by relying on bogus statistics on juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences from a group, Human Rights Watch, whose work in the area has been thoroughly discredited.

    First, some background: As the co-author of “Adult Time for Adult Crimes: Life Without Parole for Juvenile Killers,” I have been studying the issue of JLWOP for years. JLWOP for juvenile killers is reasonable, constitutional, and (appropriately) rare. Forty-four states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government (including military courts) allow for JLWOP sentences for juvenile murderers tried in adult court. Used sparingly, this represents an overwhelming national consensus that JLWOP is, for the worst offenders, an effective, appropriate, and lawful punishment.

    Nevertheless, radical anti-incarceration activists have sought to undermine the right of the people, acting through their state representatives, to impose this punishment in appropriate cases. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (AI/HRW) partnered in 2005 to co-author a bogus “study” that, among other misstatements, asserted that there were 2,225 juvenile felons serving LWOP sentences in the United States. Media outlets sympathetic to the anti-incarceration movement repeated that number for years without ever attempting to delve into the actual research.

    “Adult Time for Adult Crimes” revealed serious flaws in their research methodology and proved that this number is simply wrong. The Department of Justice does not collect or have these statistics. State departments of correction often “lose” juveniles once they are tried in adult court and do not keep JLWOP statistics in a uniform or reliable manner. Worst of all, the AI/HRW report included 18- and 19-year-olds as “juveniles,” and its statistical assumptions were fatally flawed. Deep in their “study,” and stripped of manufactured statistics and bogus assumptions, the AI/HRW admits that they could only verify 1,291 actual juvenile offenders serving JWLOP in the United States. The bottom line: Since the states don’t know exactly how many juveniles are serving LWOP, no organization can state how many juveniles are serving JLWOP.

    So I was rather surprised when, reading an otherwise thoughtful new law review article on JLWOP, I saw authors boldly assert, “As of 2010, there were 2445 juveniles serving life without parole sentences for homicides.” And what was the authority for that number? None other than a February 2010 report by the NCSL.

    And what was NCSL’s source for the 2,445 number? Human Rights Watch, which happens to be the very same organization that manufactured 19-year-old “juveniles” for its “study.” If NCSL is serious about its credibility, it ought to find a better source for data on criminal justice and avoid quoting reports that have already been thoroughly discredited.

    Tags: JLWOP, juvenile life without parole

    Author:
    Cully Stimson

  • http://crimevictimsmediareport.com Tina Trent, PhD.

    I found this website when I was writing about the possibility that child-killer Michael Woodmansee might be released early in Rhode Island. Thank you for taking the time to debunk some of the many myths about crime, criminals and punishment that pass for facts in the media, in academia, in bar associations and law schools — and, worst of all, in lawmaking bodies like the National Conference of State Legislators. Because I blog about crime, I regularly receive heartbreaking letters from people who have lost their loved ones to violence. Yet I have never heard from a victim who is “consumed” or “blinded” by vengeance. That, too, is a professional myth: it is merely one way victims’ families are stereotyped, and belittled, by thoughtless opinion writers and their peers in the defense bar, often with the intent of gaining illegitimate freedom for unrepentant killers. It is possible to forgive a murderer while believing he or she should never be released into society again: it happens every day. This is a message victims’ families must deliver in places where they are rarely heard: in their places of worship, on newspapers’ opinion pages, and in state legislatures.

    Tina Trent, PhD.
    Crime Victims Media Report

  • jbjenkins

    Overwhelming grief and pain often finds creative outlets as a coping mechanism. A play has opened in Chicago called “The Warriors” written by and starring a victim survivor of the teen killers of the Jonesboro, Arkansas massacre. (See our memorials pages under Arkansas). Mary Hollis Inboden is a hero to all of us for this creative and powerful offering from her heart. http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/events/ct-ott-0325-new-colony-warriors-revie20110324,0,5796868.story

  • Gail Palone

    A victory in Colorado this afternoon. House Bill 1287 that would have allowed the 48 juvenile lifers to be eligible for parole, retroactively to 2006, WAS DEFEATED! None of the victims were notified about this Bill until last Friday at 4:30pm. We couldn’t have defeated this Bill without the help of NOVJL and in particular, Jennifer Jenkins, who worked diligently to help the victims in Colorado defeat this Bill. Thank you, Jennifer, for all the hard work you do for all the victims. We didn’t think we had a chance to win today but miracles really do happen.

  • Bobbi Jamriska

    The New York Times ran an article this week about teen killers and the ongoing fight to change the laws on their behalf. They have a comments section. I sent these comments in and the moderator decided not to post them for the article. Disappointing. I’ve also sent a ‘Letter to the Editor’ version, but it is doubtful that will see the light of day. I’m posting the link to the article, which uses an unusual case where one brother killed another, and my response. We’ve long complained that victims aren’t part of the discussion, so now these cases where the murder occurs within the family allow them to present the victim, so silly…

    Here’s what I wrote:

    I’d like to start by telling you why this concerns me, my sister was murdered by an individual sentenced to life without parole as a juvenile. My family believed the courts when they gave us some semblance of finality and closure to an event so traumatic you cannot grasp it unless you’ve lived it. The murder of my pregnant sister was premeditated by her boyfriend who stabbed her repeatedly and left shoe imprints on her stomach where he kicked her as she bled to death. He then went home to shower and have some lunch. A 7 year old boy found her dead body on the playground of his elementary school.
    The sentence of Juvenile Life without Parole is not something that is just thrown around without consideration of the consequences. There are checks and balances, including clemency, which allow for these cases to be vetted and managed accordingly. The figures provided by your staff in this article, via Human Rights watch have been debunked. The actual number of individuals sentenced below the age of 18 is closer to the 1000 – 1500 range. I’m dismayed at the constant reference to these questionable facts in media outlets.
    There are people, of all ages, who are evil and are not really a good fit for society. Another post here also brings up a valid point: IF you put a cap on the sentences for youth, how long before youth realize they have a free pass to act as they wish or until the gang population starts sending kids to do crimes, fully expecting leniency.
    It is important to consider this matter from both sides, the victims surviving family and the killer’s family. Both have surely had their lives devastated. May there be opportunities to improve on the law for future cases, perhaps. Is there any place in this discussion for revisiting and re-traumatizing people who have already suffered unspeakable pain, absolutely not. The case of Sarah Kruzan shows us that there is clemency available in the corner cases where justice was not served.
    I applaud NYT for actually talking about the victim; unfortunately, this case doesn’t really represent the more common story like my sisters, or so many others I’ve heard. If only the victims got the same kind of sympathy people like to show to these killers, the world from my view would be a much better place.

  • Bobbi Jamriska
  • Hope Knicker

    Your propaganda page is way off. Take a look at this real time example of just how little, young, and baby faced the children are who are being sentenced to life. Read the whole artilce to see that this child did not have a chance from the time he was born to a 12 year old mother. So society punishes him! http://tinyurl.com/3au9rdz

    • http://www.teenkillers.org NOVJL

      Hope – thank you for posting at the NOVJL website. Our page that talks about propaganda tactics used by advocates against life sentences for teen killers is not “way off”. Everything on it is factual and documented. The tragic case you cite of a 12 year old killer being charged as an adult by reluctant prosecutors who were concerned that the maximum 8 years of incarceration possible were he tried as a juvenile being inadequate to address his problems might indeed be the most compassionate response to this whole tragic case. Experts quoted in the article agree this is an “outlier” and most teen killer cases don’t look anything like this case. And most importantly, the accused offender has NOT BEEN TRIED yet – we don’t know what the sentence or the outcome will be. How can you say he is being sentenced to life when the trial has not taken place yet?

      • jbjenkins

        FYI Hope the case you wrote about – the offender was tried as a JUVENILE

  • Ben

    prop·a·gan·da [prop-uh-gan-duh] –noun 1. information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.

    Pointing to the Cristian Fernandez case as a reason why juveniles shouldn’t get LWOP fits the definition of propaganda better than a site dedicated to the rights and memories of victims and their families. Society isn’t punishing Cristian for being born to a 12-year old mother; it’s punishing him for beating a 2-year old to death.

    If you really did read that entire article, you would have seen that the state’s attorney charged Cristian as an adult because he is so screwed up they don’t think he can be “fixed” in 8 years, which is when they’d have to release him if they prosecuted in juvenile court. You would have also seen that she said they were working with the defense and “talking at this point about life without parole is premature at best.” You might have also noticed the statement that “The vast majority of people serving life without parole as teenagers are 16- and 17-year-olds.” Pointing to a baby-faced picture of a killer and bemoaning his tragic upbringing while deliberately omitting those other facts is disingenuous and, yes, propagandous.

    If you realy want to see the faces of JLWOP, read the Victims Memorial pages on this site.

  • jbjenkins

    While we have endeavored at this website to keep all the pages focused on FACTS, there are also some opinions from victims families about the behavior of advocates for those who murdered our loved ones that they need to hear.

    I profoundly object to the repeated use of false statistics about the number of JLWOP cases in the USA. They have estimated over 2500 cases and publish that figure all the time. They have stated in the fine print of their report that these were estimates that included number of adult offenders. They have never counted that number, nor will they ever. They have demonstrated time and again they are disinterested with the dead or the devastated families left behind. They refuse to notify us about their efforts to free our loved ones’ murderers. They have not used their vast staff and financial resources to provide information or support to the families of those their clients murdered. They will not include us in their meetings and discussions about their work to end the prison sentences duly given those who killed our loved ones. They will not talk publicly about the crimes, only about why these offenders are less than culpable. All they are interested in doing is making the United States Criminal Justice system appear to be cruel for incarcerating murderers. All these anti-victim behaviors will only lead hostility and a lack of progress when it comes to real and needed reform.

    How hard would it be for offender advocates to simply say in every public forum where they discuss what they feel should be proper sentencing for offender that these offenders KILLED people?! And acknowledge that the victims families of these crimes are in agony? And that they have a stake in the discussions about the sentence?

  • http://www.pendulumfoundation.com Seth Ford

    I’d like to address some of the concerns posted under the title “What Went Wrong in Colorado.”

    I am a representative of the Pendulum Foundation. We recently received a comment at our website admonishing us for posting the perspective of a mother whose son is currently serving life without parole. This is not the first time that The Pendulum Foundation has been targeted. There is an entire web page (where comments are not enabled) which admonishes our organization.

    The Pendulum Foundation, in the mind of NOVJL, is apparently responsible for contacting all “victims” anywhere in the United States anytime legislation is proposed that impacts juvenile offenders, though Ms. Jenkins readily admitted in a phone conversation that was an unreasonable demand since victims advocates in Colorado cannot rise to the same challenge. Still, the Pendulum Foundation embraced that responsibility and requested information about Colorado victims families back in June. That information, to my knowledge, has not been provided yet Ms. Jenkins’ diatribes continue. In addition to putting us in contact with victims’ families in Colorado, Ms. Jenkins promised a letter to supporters acknowledging the Pendulum Foundation’s involvement in restorative justice. To my knowledge, that letter was never sent.

    The Pendulum Foundation’s mission is to end juvenile life without parole. We also advocate for political balance in discussions surrounding extrajudicial prosecution powers like direct file.

    It has come time to acknowledge that however horrific a single act may be, a child is not an adult and can not be forever defined as “irredeemable” by a single act or eventuality (i.e. felony murder) which leads to someones death. That is not to say that juveniles who commit horrific acts should not be held accountable. The essence of justice is balance. But when a life is lost, balance can not be found in taking another life. A strictly punitive system–one that supports JLWOP (the slowest death sentence possible)–accomplishes only revenge and ignores the stated mission of most correctional institutions in the United States.

    Ms. Jenkins, in her phone conversation, encouraged us to message about the injustices of the system. In fact, that is what we’re doing when we point out that victims themselves are manipulated by the system. Ms. Jenkins is an incredibly smart woman. My personal feeling is that she would like to make the Pendulum Foundation her enemy. That is a terrible misjudgment and I hope that Ms. Jenkins will find quarter in working with us in the next legislative session.

  • jbjenkins

    Mr. Ford – First, if Pendulum Foundation had not done the following things we would not be talking about you at all: 1. You filed retroactive legislation without telling anyone (sneak attack strategy) that would force devastated and suffering murder victims families into a lifetime of parole hearings, denying them any legal finality in their cases, and forcing them to constantly re-engage in the most traumatizing and torturous ways possible with someone who murdered their child. And you did this after PROMISING us that you would not move forward without creating a process respectful of victims families. 2. You recently published on your blog an article that attacks victims for speaking publicly in favor of a life sentence for murder. It is their right to do so, and certainly an understandable position to hold, even if you do not agree with it.

    A life sentence is not a death sentence. How dare you compare what our murdered loved ones suffered to what their killers now receive as punishment. You all need to stop doing that. This kind of rhetoric only furthers the divide in what is already a too contentious public policy debate.

    All we have ever asked for is a co-equal seat at the table in this discussion. And you ARE responsible for not moving forward with retroactive legislation until all the stakeholders have that chance. You are responsible because YOU initiated the legislation that would profoundly affect these families lives. You are responsible because you have chosen to advocate for these killers. And you are responsible because you have funds and staff and resources that we do not have. We don’t even know the names of all 45 or so of the JLWOP cases there in Colorado, as you do, which we have asked for several times and you have not given us. Your transparency is lacking, and your willingness to hurt suffering people without compassion for the impact you have in their lives staggers us. As human rights advocates you should be standing up for the victims families too.

    Finally, as to how you worded you comment above, I thank you for the compliment on my intelligence, but I must roundly condemn your attacks on me as somehow being vitriolic or wanting to make an enemy of anyone. You don’t know me at all, and that is certainly not who I am.

    But unfortunately YOUR SIDE in this debate about JLWOP sentences has chosen to pursue an anti-victim strategy. When you decide to change your approach, and start to do the long, hard work of listening to ALL the stakeholders in this debate, things may change.

    In the meantime, I strongly urge the Pendulum Foundation, who receives funds from the wealthy parents of one of the convicted teen killers in Colorado, to put as much time into listening to, and standing compassionately for, the agonized parents of a murdered child, the same as you do for the person who killed them.

  • Ben

    As someone who has been an observer to the back and forth between victims’ rights organizations and JLWOP opponents over the years, I agree that respectful debate serves everyone’s interests much better than angry, hateful rhetoric. That said, there are a couple of things I would like to add to Jennifer’s response to Mr. Ford’s post.

    First, regarding the blog post on the Pendulum Foundation website. It’s important to point out that the Pendulum Foundation’s original title of the piece was “Certain Victims Have too Much Power.” It was written by a woman whose 17 year old son shot and killed an elderly couple and is currently serving a 66-year term in prison. *Not* LWOP. So either the Pendulum Foundation didn’t do even rudimentary research about one of the inmates they are trying to free, or they are being intentionally misleading. The woman who wrote the blog is a “Reverend” who attacks victims as being hateful and “damaged” for not forgiving the killers of their loved ones enough to support their release. Yet her son, aside from his guilty plea and terse “I’m sorry” statement at his sentencing, has never given the families of his victims the closure and peace of explaining what he did and why. Again, that kind of inflammatory hypocrisy doesn’t serve the purposes of debate and for the Pendulum Foundation to give it a platform only adds to the argument that they are fostering the adversarial nature of the JLWOP debate.

    Second, I take great issue with Mr. Ford’s contention that the Pendulum Foundation “embraces” the working with, or even contacting, victims and/or their families. My cousin was killed by one of the inmates whose release has been advocated by the Pendulum Foundation. My cousin wasn’t abusing or threatening his killer and, by the killer’s own admission, he shot my cousin while robbing him. When I attempted to respectfully and civilly explain the point of view of the victim’s family on the Pendulum Foundation’s online forum, they told me that the forum were not for “those who do not support us.” They called me “vengeful” and “filled with anger and hatred.” They went on to say that my 17-year-old cousin was “not at all an innocent victim.” In an open letter to Colorado Rep. Crisanta Duran, one of the lawmakers who voted against the latest push to retroactively change the sentence of dozens of convicted murderers, the Director of the Pendulum Foundation said, “…we discussed this bill with victims who supported our efforts. They just aren’t the ‘appropriate’ victims…” Victims don’t fall into the category of appropriate and inappropriate based on whether or not they support the release of those who killed their loved ones. And as long as the Pendulum Foundation sees victims as “with us” or “against us” and treats them as such, no real progress can be made.

    Even now, on the Pendulum Foundation’s website there is a new blog posting about NOVJL titled “Manipulative group may have political motives of its own.” The use of such an obviously inflammatory headline despite the fact that there is no support, or even explanation, anywhere in the post for calling NOVJL either manipulative or politically motivated is further evidence that the Pendulum Foundation remains committed to demonize those who do not wholeheartedly support their efforts and any lip-service they give about working with, or even respecting, victims and their families is just that: empty self-serving rhetoric.

  • Ben

    I asked this question on the Pendulum Foundation website but don’t anticipate an answer so I will ask again here.

    The majority of Seth’s post is identical (word-for-word) to a post on Mary Ellen Johnson’s blog on the Pendulum Foundation site and neither makes any indication that anyone other than the poster is the author. Is this Mary Ellen passing Seth’s words off as her own or Seth passing Mary Ellen’s words off as his?

    I would think that, as an author, that at least Mary Ellen would be more conscious of plagiarism and source attribution.

  • DimensionX

    Anyone know anything about a black teenager named David Lee who shot a white man who was walking home from work through a field in or near Colorado Springs, Colorado? Lee told a friend that the white man did an “Elvis Presley dance” when Lee shot him. The victim’s wife had a miscarriage from the shock of this, which of course was not allowed to be mentioned at trial. This was a long time ago, probably 20 years. There was a big outcry by some who wanted to “Free David Lee” because of his age. I’m trying to find out what happened. I hope he is still in prison! Or better yet, dead. I’ve been searching for months for info and can find nothing. Would be very appreciative of any info. Thank you.

    (I also posted this comment on the Colorado Victims page, before I discovered this page.)

  • F Wilson

    Reference Victims Rights. I have done criminal legal research in several states. I would like to suggest that victims of teenage killers and other violent criminal acts committed by teens check out Arizona’s laws on victims rights, as they are the most complete and best I have seen. They may give some ideas where victim’s rights in their states could be improved. Links are below.
    Victims Rights in Juvenile Court – Arizona: http://www.azleg.gov/ArizonaRevisedStatutes.asp?Title=8 (go to Chapte 3 Article 7)
    Victims Rights in Adult Court – Arizona: http://www.azleg.gov/ArizonaRevisedStatutes.asp?Title=13 (go to Chapter 40)

  • janine Greening

    I believe in rehabilitation ,but the word gets thrown around a lot, to be rehabilitated you have to be sorry for what you have done ,if you are not sorry ,you cant be rehabilitated, here in Australia the law is if you are under 18 years old , you go to a youth detention centre diffrent from a jail, the youth detention centres here are like a holiday camp , and also suppression orders are put on your name,so no one will ever know what you did ,if you rape ,murder you are protected,so when you get out
    and if you commit a serious crime ,no one will know what you did before ,you can break your parole ,does not mean that you will be put back into detention , the aim here is to protect the teen killers as they are young , the victim has no face ,just like they never existed

  • Nikki

    First I want to say, ” Get the facts straight before writing about people’s cases. My brother Wayne Antusas never ordered any killing nor made any plan to kill anyone. Two teenage boys that robbed an officers house, were the two boys that did the shooting. The truth about the 1995 teenage girls murders, was that no one planned to kill anyone. The gang banging boys in the van, continued coming around the neighborhood, throwing up gang signs, exchanging words, and busting out windows. There was tension between popes and lords, but the popes never carried guns or had the intent to kill. The point is, both my brother and Sopron had no involvement. Many people, including myself, heard from the very mouths of everyone involved, that Wayne and sopron are in fact innocent. Our justice system is corrupt and unreliable!!!!!!!

    • Anonymous

      Nikki – thanks for posting at our site, and on our blog page all points of view are welcome. I just wanted to clarify for anyone reading this that our victim organization accepts as FACT only that which is proven in court and found to be true by LAW. We know that all human institutions are flawed, as is the criminal justice system. Still, it generally works well and is as close to “reliable” as it probably can be. We appreciate your sharing your point of view on your brother’s case. If your version of the story is found to be true by a court of law weighing the evidence and listening to witnesses, then please let us know. If there are witnesses and those involved saying your brother is innocent, we hope you will urge them to speak to the authorities. In any case, the victims of the crime in question is our primary concern.

  • guest

    Using loaded words to label and manipulate is propaganda! But of course to get people fired up about this issue, the organization must use emotionally-charged rhetoric that smothers any opportunity to learn anything from the organization. Advocates for this organization say over and over that they want the facts to be out in the open, but how do they hope to accomplish this by adding in their own emotionally charged adjectives to any one of these stories. Your experiences are the reason you are aware of the injustice in the criminal justice system, but that very experience is also what limits your impact on a wider audience. In general, it is very difficult to look at anything objectively on this website. Maybe try using people first language, not slapping labels on a person. We are all human beings.

    • Ben

      In my personal experience, the most emotionally charged and manipulative arguments made in the victims vs. criminals debates has come from those who are arguing for the criminals. Victims and their families have already learned that if they show any emotion, they are labeled as irrational and vengeful. Prisoner advocates, on the other hand, regularly bemoan the ‘tragedy’ of their incarceration or the ‘sadness’ of the prospect that they will spend the rest of their lives in prison.

      I think NOVJL has done a commendable job of presenting logical and reasonable information even in the face of insulting rhetoric from those trying to secure the release of murders. (Sorry if you don’t like the label but if you murder someone you’re a murderer.)

    • NOVJL

      I would challenge you to tell me where in this website we have NOT acknowledged the humanity of all persons involved in this issue, even the killers. I would challenge you to tell me WHERE on this website we use propaganda instead of facts or first hand victims stories. It is in fact the supporters of the offenders who have repeatedly published lie after lie – please see our pages explaining the misinformation campaign. And by the way when a murder victims family member tells their story, they are ALLOWED to use emotionally charged words. How heartless of you to suggest anything otherwise would be appropriate.

  • guest

    Oh yeah, keep stirring up a lot of anger with the emotionally charged rhetoric, that should a lot of support from the far right, so great job!

    • Ben

      To try and pigeonhole the debate over JLWOP into a “liberal” vs. “conservative” argument is as uninformed as it is insulting to the people whose lives are affected by crimes and punishments.

  • Elyoukayee

    Contrell Williams was 18 at the time he murdered Matt and Shane. I do not think that classifies this scumbag as a JLWOP. Mr. Williams showed no remorse in the courtroom. I remember him looking at me and laughing. I was 15 at the time. Apparently, it was all some kind of joke to him. Tyrone Humphrey was 17 and maybe that does classify him as JLWOP. Tyrone did show remorse. Both of these young men were found guilty in a court of law of placing two rounds in the back of the head to Matt and 3 for Shane execution style. The way it was understood during the trial, Shane watched as Matt was murdered. Given the fact only one weapon was identified, that means one of the two, Tyrone or Contrell watched as well and continued to watch as Shane was murdered. These two young men deserve worse than what they have been given.

  • cindy

    Several years ago, through a series of what I feel are divine coincidences, I became involved with a juvenile lifer, without at first knowing anything about him—or his crime. His wildlife art came into my art store and I began to write to him to acquire more of his art. PLEASE keep in mind that as I tell you this story, I did not know what he had been convicted of when we began to correspond. I probably would not have written to him, if i had.

    In any event, my husband and I read his letters and were struck my this young man’s extreme politeness and how lonely he seemed. Once when we offered a little bit of monetary assistance, we were astonished when he refused, assuring us both that he would never want us to think he was taking advantage of our friendship. Over time, we learned that he had been in prison since the age of 16 for a crime committed as a 15 year old.

    Eventually I asked about family. He had none. He had been in and out of foster care since the age of 8, and had lost contact with all his siblings. His parents were indifferent, never appeared at his trial, and eventually I learned that they were substance abusers, who had been abusive to him and his siblings.

    Over time, he began to call us. It became very evident to us, over time, that we were becoming the parents he never had. We were struck by his humility and what I can only call an obvious need to be loved by someone. We were also touched by what appeared to be a genuine and deep faith in God. Eventually, I learned more about his crime through an Internet search, and was deeply distressed. Despite the fact that he appeared to have become quite emotionally attached to us, I immediately sent some rather direct letters, challenging him and expressing doubt about who he had presented himself to be.

    About a week later the phone rang and it was him. In a shaking voice, he blurted how nervous he was. I knew he was afraid that we would walk away from him and despite my prior misgivings, I could not find it within myself to do so. Despite deeply conflicting emotions and no small amount of turmoil, we continued to write and take his calls.

    What I know about his crime is that he was sentenced to LWOP in PA for a crime committed with an adult co-defendant. If the justice system worked perfectly (despite the fact that he was tried in Luzerne County, home of the Kids for Cash scandals, where 3 judges have now been sent to prison—one of whom was the son of the judge presiding over his case)—- then he was guilty of first degree murder during a robbery, committed with an accomplice. While his prosecutor was also indirectly involved in those scandals, and his public defender had a record of previous disciplinary actions against him for negligence, I recognize it IS possible that justice was served, despite all the above mentioned.

    To this day, however, 12 years later, he maintains his innocence. While he does not deny being at the scene, and blames himself for running away once he became aware of the crime, he has assured us that that even if he has to remain in prison for the rest of his life, he derives comfort in knowing that he did not hurt anyone that night.

    My husband and I are not naive, in fact, we tend to lean more toward skepticism. (My husband is a law enforcement officer) Whatever happened that day, and only he and God truly know that— he is an amazing young man. I have never seen anyone of his age (28) more loving, considerate, and patient. I have never heard a foul word, a hint of anger or self-pity, and, in fact, marvel that he still maintains an optimism and deep belief that God has a purpose in his ordeal. He is a model inmate, donates a portion of the small amount of money he makes to charity, and has become like a son to my husband and I.

    Whether this young man is innocent, and his character today reflects that; or he has changed dramatically, I can not be sure. But we are both sure of one thing: it would be a travesty to keep him incarcerated until he dies. I hope some day there will be some way that we can judge cases like his individually, and some way that young men like him who show exemplary character might get a second chance. I hope there are some here that agree that some cases, do indeed merit a degree of mercy.

  • http://www.facebook.com/rozum.brada Rozum Brada

    I do not comprehend how one can defend the sentencing of children to LWOP for felony murder (no intent to kill) when American soldiers routinely get possibility of parole in 5 to 20 years for outright intentional murders.

    Sergeant Calvin Gibbs was convicted of three premeditated murders — including that of a 15 year old child — and yet is eligible for parole in 10 years.

    Of the 5 soldiers who executed the PLAN to rape a 14-year-old Iraqi child and kill her entire family (including a 6-year-old girl), only one got an LWOP, while the two rapists of the child can be released in 10 years.

    Bryan L. Howard was a “mere” lookout, and so got mere 2 years!

    They all KNEW of the plan to RAPE and MURDER, thus they were all guilty of RAPE and MURDER — not just of “felony murder” (unintentional).

    I can understand why adult soldiers would be treated somewhat more leniently than adult civilians.

    When children who never killed nor intended for anyone to die are treated far more harshly than adult soldiers who INTEND and PLAN rape and murder, any pretense of justice is fraudulent.

    Do you truly not see how utterly uncivilized the U.S. looks when one compares its treatment of children with that of adult soldiers when it comes to crime?

    • Ben

      So your argument is that because a group of people were underpunished for horrible crimes we should reduce punishment for other killers?

      Wouldn’t it make more sense to say that the soldiers you mentioned should be punished more harshly instead?

      • cindy

        I agree that an unjust sentence toward military who deliberately plan to kill innocent victims should not be the catalyst for striking down JLWOP sentences. The impetus for abolishing JLWOP sentences should be the reality that young people can change. The young man whom our family adopted was raised under some of the most horrific abuse i have ever heard. This was even noted during his trial but under mandatory sentencing guidelines, could not be considered.
        When we essentially tell this young man that even though he was dealt a terrible deal in life as a child, that we will not even consider that at sentencing, we are condemning him, in my opinion, to an entire lifetime of tragedy. He started out life with all the odds against him—-and he will die in prison—no matter how much he changes. Can any of us assure everyone here that we would not be in his shoes if we were raised under such terrible circumstances, with neither a mother of a father’s love?
        I just cannot picture the Savior I love saying to us all that this is OK. The young man we grew to love was not even the trigger person. Today he is a thoughtful, remorseful and deeply compassionate young man, well respected by the prison staff. He wants only a chance to give back and make some kind of amends for his terrible judgment as a juvenile. If given the chance he would like to help other reformed former inmates who are helping young people who grew up without hope as he did.
        I wish I could promise him that someday he will get that chance.

        • NOVJL

          Cindy – your compassion for those incarcerated offenders who seek redemption from the horrors of their crimes is admirable. Many of us in NOVJL do that work too. We are not against the positive changes in the offenders that you seek, and you are wrong to treat us as adversaries in that process. However you are actually NOT helping him if you make getting OUT of prison the issue. The journey towards “change” is an INNER one. Adult offenders can change too. Do you believe that all prison sentences should be made fluid based on someone changing? How would you determine this? You see, our constitution and government are quite clear – Legislatures set penalties for crimes, Courts evaluate guilt and innocence and penalties with the laws set, and Executive Branches carry out these sentences. If you want to change an offender’s sentence, you have to work through these government agencies to change the laws or gain clemency. We do not incarcerate your offender friend. We grieve the loss of our loved ones murdered. You do NOT seem to be concerned about our losses?! My advice – if you want to help your offender friend, urge him to take full responsibility for what he has done and work to make restitution to his victims. This character building work is possible from behind bars, and has been shown to truly improve how prisoners can find great meaning and even joy while incarcerated. They can take genuine pride in working to make restitution. Our organization has even helped to deliver apologies from offenders to victims family members on occasion. We are happy for you that your faith creates compassion in you. But some of the offenders who murdered our loved ones are psychopathic and unrepentant serial killers. And we have all suffered staggering losses. We ask that you balance your concern for the killers with some concern for our families, and a realistic (not naively idealistic) understanding of the dangers that some of these offenders pose.

          • cindy

            Jennifer,

            My journey is a personal one, as is probably true of us all. I did not share the story of a heartless psychopath or a serial killer, but of a young teenager, now a remorseful, mature adult, who was not even the killer, but yet received a LWOP sentence. I am certain that many of you, even though you have suffered staggering losses, would agree that that also is tragic.
            I can only share what I know and what I have experienced. On a blog such as this, it is valuable to have the opportunity to share different opinions in the hope that we can eventually understand each others experience. If we listen to each other, without judgment, we can perhaps achieve a better understanding.

            I will make a promise to all of you. I will never assume you do NOT care about the suffering I feel, seeing a deeply sincere young man, who never knew the love of a family until recently— AND was NOT the killer, receive a life sentence—-and I hope you will provide me with the same respect. I will also promise not to make the foolish claim that i understand your pain—-and I hope you will do the same.
            So it will be perfectly clear, I do not feel that all or even most of the teens that committed these crimes are worthy of release. Neither myself or my husband are what we would call naive, idealistic people. My husband is a law enforcement officer. His nature, in fact, is to be cynical about the claims made by offenders. Indeed, we were highly skeptical and cynical about this young man for quite some time. It was a long process before we truly believed he was sincere.

            As you know when I spoke to you on the phone, I went through a long process to get to the point where I am now, and feel terrible sadness over the victim in his case, despite the fact that his involvement was truly minimal. I also expressed my sympathy to you for your own loss, and believe I mentioned that this young man IS in the process of doing just what you advise—as well as writing a letter to the survivors. He has indeed accepted full responsibility for his part in this crime and very much wants to do all you mentioned.
            As Christians, my husband and I have always believed that the first and most important issue is not his freedom, but genuine repentance. My prayer to God has ALWAYS been, not that he be released from prison carte blanche; but that that day will come only if it is the Lord’s will and He is deemed worthy. Obviously we feel he has gone through a sincere process of repentance or we would not be involved in supporting him in any way.
            Incidentally, we have already been in touch with the Office of the Victim Advocate– and while they mentioned he can certainly send his letter of apology to their office, they do not contact families to let them know there is a letter on file. He is still writing his letter and we are praying there will be a way that we can get it to them. He has said that he would truly give his life if he could change the past, and we both believe he is truly sincere about this.
            As to how to measure change, true change is measured by actions, not words. Anyone can learn to say the “right” things. But to have a ten year record of exemplary behavior behind bars, with no offenses is quite another thing. This young man has shown by his charitable actions in prison to mentor others–and by monetary contributions to charity over a long period of time that he has matured and changed. We are convinced that he wants earnestly to make some kind of amends for the crime he was a part of as a teen.
            Let me publicly add, before closing, that I am so sorry for the losses everyone sustained on this blog. Many of you suffered staggering, life altering losses at the hands of truly heartless killers. There should be no sympathy for offenders like that—except perhaps a prayer that God will one day reach into their hearts as well to spare then an eternal hell.
            But we must be so careful not to paint this issue with a broad brush. Our justice system is not perfect. There are many individuals who are true psychopaths who should remain behind bars forever. But there are also a significant minority that had a minimal role in these crimes, some that truly have recognized the horrible mistakes they have made, and some that are truly innocent.
            I pray the God will guide us to do His will in this very difficult, emotional issue, and that He will heal all those whose hearts have been broken.

          • NOVJL

            Thank you for your kind words, and if you will indeed read the whole of our website, especially the HOME and ABOUT pages, you will see – repeatedly – our embrace of the totality of the tragedy infusing every aspect of this issue, including the offenders. You don’t have to assume it or trust it – we have been saying it for YEARS – very publicly. And yet we still get no information, no outreach, and no support from advocates for our loved ones’ murderers who have millions in funding. When you stand with us to correct this injustice, maybe we can start working on how to correct the other injustices you are concerned about. And we commend your compassionate heart. You are a reasonable and caring person, and we appreciate your interest in the issue.

          • Sanfordnsons3

            I’ve been reading through your website and will continue to do so. I am also giving your “asks” deep consideration and prayer, and have passed them along. It surely must be in everyone’s best interests—and God’s wish for us all—to cooperate and work together.

      • http://www.facebook.com/rozum.brada Rozum Brada

        That is NOT my argument, it is, at best, your misreading of my argument.

        My argument is that the sentences of such high-profile representative military cases prove that juvenile justice in the U.S. is fraudulent.

        I do not believe for a moment that a mandatory LWOP sentence for a 14-year-old who neither killed not intended for anyone to die is just.

        So I already know from such juvenile cases that many JLWOP sentences are often unjust.

        It is in the view of how mature adults get OFTEN treated that juvenile justice also becomes fraudulent. You adopt the harshest possible adult standards for some juveniles, and yet European-style leniency for some adults. It is fraud.

        • Ben

          I have read and re-read both of your posts and I’m still at a loss to see what one thing has to do with the other. I’m not trying to be argumentative or say that your examples aren’t good indication of a problem with military justice, I’m just not seeing a connection to JLWOP.

          There are just and unjust punishments doled out to both adults and juveniles every day. How does a case of unjustly lenient sentences for some adults “prove that juvenile justice is fraudulent”? At best it proves military justice is fraudulent but that would seem like an argument to be made on a different site.

          • http://www.facebook.com/rozum.brada Rozum Brada

            Once again: those military trials were high-profile and representative of American justice on national level. And yet there has been hardly any outrage not to mention any attempt to reform the system.

            On the other hand when there’s effort to at least give the hope of parole to 13 and 14 year-old children who neither killed nor intended for anyone to be injured, suddenly there’s a massive wall of resistance to any reform.

            The entire “as an adult” justification relies on some children supposedly being so evil that they deserve “adult” punishment — and the pretense it is only these children the system is designed to treat that way.

            This justification is fraudulent because it’s not an anomaly but an inevitable outcome of the current system that children get frequently punished far more harshly than far more culpable mature adults.

            I suspect we might as well be from different planets — you do not comprehend the distinction between merely unjust and both unjust and fraudulent; nor do you seem to truly comprehend the legal and ethical distinction between adult and child.

            How do *you* defend mandatory LWOP sentences for 13 and 14 year-old children who neither killed not intended to kill nor foresaw death as a likely outcome?

          • Ben

            Again, you’re tying to connect one argument to another when no correlation exists. The lack of outrage over the military trials neither supports nor invalidates arguments for or against JLWOP. You obviously feel strongly about both topics but you haven’t shown what one has to do with the other aside from comparing the level of perceived interest. (A lot of people feel strongly that drug laws in the U.S. are too draconian. That doesn’t mean drug laws have anything to do with JLWOP or with military justice.)

            I do understand the distinction between “merely unjust and both unjust and fraudulent.” I just do not believe that the presence of isolated injustice in proves fraudulence. There are areas of the justice system for both juveniles and adults which are in dire need of reform. That doesn’t make the justice system fraudulent, just imperfect.

            Also, just because we disagree about what constitutes fair, reasonable and responsible sentences for juveniles doesn’t mean that I don’t understand the “legal and ethical distinction between adult and child.” Honestly, I wish I didn’t but since the night a 17-year old shot and killed my cousin while robbing him of $100 I have spent countless hours exploring that topic in much greater detail than I would wish on anyone.

            Finally, for the record, *I* haven’t ever defended mandatory LWOP sentences for 13 and 14 year-olds. I prefer to judge each case on its own facts rather than make blanket generalizations. I think it does everyone involved a great disservice to equate a 13-year old lookout with a 17-year old thug who left a 76-year old grandmother to die of exposure under a pile of concrete rubble.

          • http://www.facebook.com/rozum.brada Rozum Brada

            Ben, I will reply because you seem earnest and because it is important to have a dialog on the matter. I also know that the death of a loved one is a horrible experience that leaves one despondent and in search for answers. My purpose is not to argue with you on
            emotional or ethical level — I simply hope you’ll comprehend the nature of my argument.

            You seem to be trying to attack the logic of my argument but it is difficult to follow what you saying.

            I indicated that the military sentences are high-profile representative examples of the fact that so many adults guilty of the worst crimes receive relatively lenient sentences in the U.S.

            If you disagree than you disagree on factual evidence, not with the logic of an argument based on that evidence.

            The system is fraudulent because its JLWOPs are justified as NECESSARY in order to deal with the very worst crimes by the most depraved and incorrigible minors.

            Yet when so many mature adults guilty of the worst crimes get more lenient sentences than 13 and 14 year old children who neither killed not had any intent to kill, it is clear the people controlling the system are hypocrites.

            And note that I’m talking about the system, not individual cases. An argument for personal retribution, such as made by a relative of a victim, is not a general argument defending how the system treats children.

            Similarly, if someone argues that children deserve to be punished MORE harshly than adults, than of course evidence of lenient treatment of adults would be irrelevant — however the system as is does not justify JLWOPs this way.

            So again — how do you justify JLWOPs and how does that justification applies to mandatory LWOPS for early teens in cases of of so-called felony murder?

            If you do not see a valid and reasonable argument defending the current system then where do we disagree?

  • Tom’s dad- – Ralph

    Yahoo Content has just published my article Convicted Juvenile Murderers don’t deserve a Second Chance. You can read it by going to the following link http://voices.yahoo.com/convicted-juvenile-murderers-dont-deserve-second-11138002.html Let’s hope and pray the Supreme Court will put this issue to rest and not allow LWOP juveniles be given another chance at freedom and to murder. Tom’s dad-Ralph Myers

    • NOVJL

      Congratulations on this wonderful article being published!

  • Angela

    Gods grace is bigger than all our sins!

  • Sanfordnsons3

    I met this man recently in Philadelphia. Please take a minute and review the short video and share your thoughts, whatever they are:. http://mimicphilly.org/cnn-interview-mimic-founder

    This man was raised by drug dealers, committed a homicide, and was sent to prison. He evaded a life sentence due to a legal glitch that worked to his benefit, and got out after serving 8 years. To me it reminds me of what is possible through Christ’s tranforming grace, and why I believe that JLWOP sentences for teenagers should not be the widespread practice they are today. But I welcome your thoughts, positive or negative. God Bless!