The Shifting Legal Landscape of Juveniles Sentenced to Life Without Parole

The Shifting Legal Landscape of
Juveniles Sentenced to Life Without Parole

In April 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court in Jones v. Mississippi ruled that a judge was not required to make a finding of "permanent incorrigibility" before sentencing a juvenile to life without parole.  This ruling deviates from Supreme Court rulings over the past two decades that had pushed for more leniency when considering whether to sentence juveniles to life without parole (e.g., Miller v. Alabama, Montgomery v. Louisiana), in particular, informed by scientific research showing that juvenile brains are not yet fully developed and thus juveniles are likely to lack impulse control.  The Miller/Montgomery line of cases spurred efforts in states across the country to reconsider the sentences of individuals who had been sentenced to life without parole and has resulted in the release from prison of many such situated individuals.

Please join SABA-DC for a panel discussion about how this new Supreme Court case may impact continuing efforts of individuals who were sentenced to life without parole to seek resentencing or release.  In particular, the panel will focus on Maryland as a case study, and discuss both the legal and policy efforts that have been successful in advocating for release of individuals sentenced to life without parole as juveniles.  Finally, the panelists will offer an opportunity for SABA-DC members to learn how they may get involved and support these efforts.

Panelists:

Martina Hazelton, Co-Founder, Lifer Family Support Network

Sonia Kumar, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU of Maryland

Calvin McNeill, Advisor to the Maryland Parole Partnership, sentenced to life imprisonment at age 16 

Moderator: Priya Bhanu, President, SABA-DC

When: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 6:00-7:00pm ET

Where: Zoom (link to be emailed to registrants)