Florida children sentenced to prison as adults, now advocating against the use of solitary confinement
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Ian Manuel, sentenced to life in prison in 1991 for attempted murder in a downtown Tampa botched robbery at 14 years old, is now sharing his story as an adult.
Manuel is advocating against solitary confinement, where he says he spent 18 years within the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC).
“I’ll never forget when I stood before the judge, after my mother had begged for my life, and the judge looked at me and said, ‘Mr. Manuel, there was a statement made earlier today in this courtroom about giving you a second chance. However, sometimes there are no second chances. So for the crime of attempted murder, I sentence you to life," Manuel said.
But Manuel did get a second chance 26 years later, after the Equal Justice Initiative took his case to the Supreme Court as part of its effort to end excessive punishment of children, which led to his release nearly nine years ago.
