Tell the Parole Board: Treating Youth More Harshly is Wrong! February 15, 2012
Posted by FairSentencing in : Current News , trackbackThe Oregon parole board is considering changing the rules that require five individuals who were convicted of aggravated murder in the 1990s when they were under 17 years old be treated more harshly than adults convicted of the same crime. These individuals must serve more time in prison before being eligible to be considered for parole than if they had been adults at the time of their offenses. The state has called it a “legal glitch.”
The parole board will be meeting Friday to consider changing these rules and is taking public comments. PSJ needs your help in letting the parole board know that we support changes to the rules. Act now to tell the parole board that people who were juveniles at the time of their offense should not receive a harsher penalty than adults.
In fact, we believe that young people’s age should be a mitigating factor – that is, being a juvenile at the time of an offense should be a consideration for possibly a shorter sentence. At a minimum, however, these individuals should be treated in the same manner as adults.
As part of our regular work, PSJ also advocates for increased funding for victim services. While the criminal justice system is primarily designed to hold the person who committed the crime accountable, the system owes an appropriate response to the person who was harmed by the crime as well. We hope that the parole board will advocate for increased capacity to meet the needs of victims.
The Parole Board needs to hear from you! When you click ACT NOW, you’ll be sent to our website where you can quickly and easily send an e-mail message to the executive director of the parole board. The deadline for responding is before 9 a.m. on Friday February 17, 2012 when the parole board will be meeting on this issue. PLEASE ACT NOW.
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