Life without parole for children

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Support Freedom Of Trafficking Victim Sara Kruzan (Criminal Justice - Change.org)

There are approximately 225 juveniles in California serving a life without parole sentence. California has the worst racial disparity rate in the nation for sentencing juveniles to life without parole. Black youth are given this sentence at 22 times the rate of white youth.

A number of California cases have recently been highlighted in the media due to the background of the juveniles who received the sentences, and the circumstances surrounding their crimes. One such case involves Sara Kruzan, now 28. She was raised in Riverside by her abusive, drug-addicted mother. Sara met her father only three times in her life because he was in prison.

Since the age of 9, Sara suffered from severe depression for which she was hospitalized several times. At the age of 11, she met a 31-year-old man named G.G. who molested her and began grooming her to become a prostitute. At age 13, she began working as a child prostitute for G.G. and was repeatedly molested by him. At age 16, Sara was convicted of killing him. She was sentenced to prison for the rest of her life despite her background and a finding by the California Youth Authority that she was amendable to treatment offered in the juvenile system.

“Life without parole means absolutely no opportunity for release,” said Senator Yee. (of California) “It also means minors are often left without access to programs and rehabilitative services while in prison. This sentence was created for the worst of criminals that have no possibility of reform and it is not a humane way to handle children. While the crimes they committed caused undeniable suffering, these youth offenders are not the worst of the worst.”

“As a society we’ve learned a lot since the time we started using life without parole for children,” said Elizabeth Calvin, a children’s rights advocate with Human Rights Watch. “We now know that this sentence provides no deterrent effect. While children who commit serious crimes should be held accountable, public safety can be protected without subjecting youth to the harshest prison sentence possible.”

Fuck this country

How ya doing, buddy?

Honestly what the fuck is going on in the world. What really angers me is when i show people things like this they just tell me racism doesn't exist anymore. It's just a few people around who wont let it go. How sheltered can you be to believe that.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

21 to 1 you say? Well maybe if they dressed appropriately in court they wouldn't receive such harsh sentences.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Wow, punsihed mroe because the crime was well thought-out?

Society should reward minors for clear thinking and organised approaches.

How ya doing, buddy?

C'mon, Dev. As much as the son of a bitch had it coming, you can't just kill someone.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by loyalistreturns

Wow, punsihed mroe because the crime was well thought-out?

Society should reward minors for clear thinking and organised approaches.

You're either being a troll or an idiot.

Either way, leave.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Or, you know, kidding.

He could be kidding.

FELIPE NO

Okay, yeah. Her life was over before it began.

On the other hand think of her gravestone:


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I'm comfortable taking posts at their face value without playing at long-term psychoanalysis, myself.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

It's a long way of saying that anything that Styphon doesn't like is probably pretty good.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Pangalin

It's a long way of saying that anything that Styphon doesn't like is probably pretty good.

Not in this case.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

This is not a principle from which cases may be exempted.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Of course not.

This is Gamingforce; You're either with us, or you're against us.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Quote:

Originally Posted by loyalistreturns
Wow, punsihed mroe because the crime was well thought-out?

Society should reward minors for clear thinking and organised approaches.
You're either being a troll or an idiot.

Either way, leave.

I don't see it that way. Frankly, someone who thought this crime out and then realised the moral problems with killing someone afterwards is far elss dangerous than a violent sociopath who simply lashes out at random.

I would also argue that this indicative of a larger problem in the US, that of over-using prison sentences in an effort to curb crime - one that has failed, but i s politically convienient.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Quote boxes don't work like that.

For a second I thought you were seriously arguing with yourself (still laughing). Next time just quote the post you're replying to.

FELIPE NO

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You don't remember Loyalist do you?

Life is ironic above all else. Either it's sick, depressing or downright amusing. Probably some combination of the above.

It is good to see that Mr. Styphon is as vigilant as ever.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I don't have any issue with locking someone up for life without parole regardless of their age if the crime is bad enough. However, to punish someone with murder when it was clearly self defense is fucked up beyond description.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

The title for this thead is entirely misleading and dramatic.

I'm not saying that the judge did right in this particular case, but if the circumstances were different, I definitely wouldn't say that a 16-year-old qualifies as a child. By that time, you're entirely aware of the consequences that come with committing heinous crimes.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Regarding the original post.., I believe if those points regarding her past were brought up in the case then she most likely wouldn't have received such a harsh punishment. I can't imagine any jury that would convict a minor of what, put in that light, seems like self-defense.

This leads me to believe that those facts were most likely fabricated by the defense (or some advocate group with their own political agenda) afterwards in what appears to be some attempt to bring light to that particular case and further some cause.

As for the statistics that people usually read about with Hispanics and African Americans usually receiving more (or harsher) convictions. Though prejudice/racism on the part of police officers and other legal officials may play a small role, I believe the numbers are more due to the fact that there are far more members of those ethnic groups living in poverty or lower-income situations, which usually equals higher crime rates.

I really doubt ethnicity/racism played any part in this case though, and presented with only these limited (seemingly biased) facts I can't really form an opinion on this particular case myself. Perhaps she did deserve the sentence she received or perhaps not. The fact that she was a minor at the time though means this court ruling could probably be appealed successfully for a reduced sentence.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Randi

The title for this thead is entirely misleading and dramatic.

I'm not saying that the judge did right in this particular case, but if the circumstances were different, I definitely wouldn't say that a 16-year-old qualifies as a child. By that time, you're entirely aware of the consequences that come with committing heinous crimes.

This is completely false and backed up by decades of adolescent psychology. Adolescents do not have the brain development which renders them capable of higher moral reasoning, not that they do not have a concept of right or wrong but that they're not sufficiently prepared to appreciate the consequences of their actions. This scientific evidence was even cited by SCOTUS in their decision which struck down the Juvenile Death Penalty a few years ago.

SCOTUS is reviewing two cases from Florida regarding young men sentenced to JVLWOP for non-violent offenses. Initial questioning in court makes it look like it will be a 5-4 decision in January either in favor of or against human dignity.

Additional Spam:

Originally Posted by Lauro

I don't know anything about the actual court proceedings but here's my dumbass opinion, durr durr durrrrrr

Incompetence of advocacy is a common theme when it comes to kids sentenced to JVLWOP.

This Frontline from 2007 features at least two kids whose court-appointed attorneys demonstrated massive incompetence.

Additional Spam:
Those 21 to 1 odds are statistically significant indicators that race played a role in her sentencing, by the way.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

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I believe the numbers are more due to the fact that there are far more members of those ethnic groups living in poverty or lower-income situations, which usually equals higher crime rates.

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Those 21 to 1 odds are statistically significant indicators that race played a role in her sentencing, by the way.

I think he is confusing statistical comparison of the conviction rate per capita (As this type of comparison usually should have been) with the general likelihood that a individual may-be caught into that kind of situation.

I was speaking idiomatically.

It's amazing how shocked old cracker judges are when adolescents don't respect a court of law.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I agree with Brady. There have been studies about the brain development of children. I have read that the brain development of the average white male does not stop until, on average, age 27. And the last portion of the brain to fully develop is the decision making one.

In addition to said psychological issues, the child was living in an environment that would get to anyone eventually. I am not saying what she did is right, but what she did is understandable. However, not knowing the conditions in which she lived (i.e. how she was mentally, if she was able to bring police attention, what leverage he had over her), I really cannot say whether she should be in jail in my opinion.

California is so fucked up sometimes I am ashamed to live there...

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Bradylama

This is completely false and backed up by decades of adolescent psychology. Adolescents do not have the brain development which renders them capable of higher moral reasoning, not that they do not have a concept of right or wrong but that they're not sufficiently prepared to appreciate the consequences of their actions. This scientific evidence was even cited by SCOTUS in their decision which struck down the Juvenile Death Penalty a few years ago.

Now you've piqued my curiousity.

links plz

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I'm too busy to go looking up research for the old SCOTUS case, but that Frontline I linked to makes it apparent, and cites psychologists.

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I really cannot say whether she should be in jail in my opinion.

She certainly shouldn't be in jail now. She should have been rehabilitated and allowed to re-enter society when she reached the Age of Majority.

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