Attorneys Struggle to Address JLWOP Resentencing Hearings in Louisiana

Katy Reckdahl, JJIE •

"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 sentences. So far, McCarthy said, they’ve found that funding varies widely by county and judge.

In Philadelphia County, which has the most cases, defenders get an initial $3,500 to start. “They’re being very frugal,” she said, noting that they are being careful to create better records for appeal and trying to educate judges about basic child development."