"As Marsha Levick, the chief counsel for the Juvenile Law Center who assisted with Montgomery’s Supreme Court case, pointed out to me this summer, Montgomery
Today marks the second anniversary of the monumental, ground-breaking, life-altering landmark decision which literally changed the trajectory of my life -- and that of several hundred life-sentenced children in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who were disappeared from society due to Pennsylvania's mandatory sentencing scheme which required all offenders (including children tried as adults) to be sentenced to a term of life without the possibility of parole -- otherwise known as "death by incarceration" upon conviction for criminal acts that resulted in homicide.
A proposed amendment to the state constitution of Florida would ensure that children in the foster care system have access to counsel. Today, Juvenile Law Center joined partners in the state and nationwide calling on the Florida Constitution Revision commissioners to support this move, which is known as Proposal 40.
Tomorrow, Florida will consider a state Constitutional Amendment that would protect the rights of youth in foster care to have access to counsel. We need you to call today to support this move! Even if you don't live in Florida, your call will help youth in foster care in the state!
"The Zubrow Fellowship is one of the only post-graduate legal fellowships dedicated to children’s rights in both the child welfare and justice systems. Fellows work
"Brooke McCarthy, an Equal Justice Works Fellow, is helping coordinate hearings and data in Pennsylvania, which has the nation’s highest number of juveniles serving life
Shanice Holmes, Youth Advocate in Youth Fostering Change,
I first entered care at the age of 14, right before my 15th birthday. At this time, I was attending a High School in West Philadelphia. I want to point out that during my time at this high school, the school had somewhat of a reputation for being out of control and unstructured, but I attended, for about a year, before I was sent to a group home across the state and forced to change schools. At the same time as I was due to move, I was also in the middle of completing credit recovery for the classes I had missed the previous year and I had not done so well in. For me, this change was unexpected and hard to handle, especially because it came without warning. Before I could plan, I was transferred to the group home.
"Cyntoia's sentence is wholly disproportionate for a 16-year-old girl, and therefore unconstitutional," said Marsha Levick, deputy director and chief counsel for Juvenile Law Center, which
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