The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that Miller v. Alabama’s prohibition on mandatory juvenile life without parole should apply retroactively. Their 6-3 decision in Montgomery v. Louisiana gives thousands of people, who are currently serving time in prison, the opportunity to have their sentences reheard and the hope for release.
“The Coalition for the Juvenile Justice is pleased to learn that as of today the inhumane practice of sentencing our children to life without parole has officially come to an end,” said Marie Williams, Executive Director of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice. “Miller served as an important first step. The decision today, however, ensures that all of our children receive equal treatment under the law, regardless of whether they were sentenced in 2011, 2012, or 2016. We hope that this is the first of many victories for our children in 2016.”
For more information, please visit the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth’s website: http://fairsentencingofyouth.org/