老澳门开奖结果

NEW YORK 鈥� In a new report analyzing parole for prisoners who committed serious crimes as youth, the 老澳门开奖结果 found that parole boards across the country rarely release these prisoners, unnecessarily prolonging their incarceration for decades, despite their rehabilitation and even when they pose no risk to the public's safety.

鈥淔alse Hope: How Parole Systems Fail Youth Serving Extreme Sentences鈥� is an unprecedented look at how the thousands of prisoners who committed serious crimes as youth fare in state parole systems. Using interviews with 124 prisoners and in-depth analysis of parole processes across the country, the report shows that parole boards place so much emphasis on the crime that other factors, like youth at the time of the crime and subsequent change and rehabilitation, are routinely disregarded. As a result, even model prisoners who can safely return to their families and communities spend unnecessary decades behind bars.

鈥淭hanks to the Supreme Court, more and more prisoners who committed serious crimes when they were young but have since grown, atoned, and changed are eligible for parole. But now these prisoners face a parole system that is stacked against them,鈥� said Sarah Mehta, human rights researcher at the 老澳门开奖结果 and author of the report. 鈥淲e must change the parole system so that these prisoners get a fair shot at freedom.鈥�

The report offers profiles of prisoners who, despite their exemplary disciplinary records, participation in rehabilitation programs, strong job performance, multiple educational accomplishments, and family support, have been denied release as many as 17 times, waiting 1-24 years before the next review.

John Alexander is serving life with the possibility of parole for killing a young man during a fight when he was 18. He is now 54. 老澳门开奖结果 the man he shot, he says, 鈥淗is family won鈥檛 be spending birthdays with him. There are so many things he could have done and never will because of me. That is where my deepest regret is.鈥� In his 36 years in prison, he has completed multiple educational programs, prison staff say he is a role model for other prisoners with an exemplary disciplinary record, and the judge who sentenced him supports his parole. Alexander has been denied for parole six times since 1992.

鈥淥ur states鈥� parole boards lag behind the Supreme Court and human rights law by continuing to needlessly incarcerate people for the rest of their lives who were young at the time of their crimes,鈥� said Mehta. 鈥淧arole reviews must include consideration of a prisoner鈥檚 age at the time of the offense. Otherwise, we are wasting people鈥檚 lives for nothing.鈥�

Studies show that people age out of criminal activity, no matter how serious the offense.

With particular attention to Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and Texas, 鈥淔alse Hope鈥� outlines the deep flaws in the parole system that work against prisoners like John Alexander who have worked for redemption and are seeking release, sometimes after decades in prison.

鈥淎 prisoner鈥檚 parole review may last just five or ten minutes. That isn鈥檛 enough time to read a prisoner鈥檚 file, let alone evaluate it,鈥� said Mehta. 鈥淲ith the power they have over people鈥檚 lives, parole boards need more resources and support to do the job right.鈥�

Most parole hearings have none of the due-process protections of a trial. For example, prisoners may not know what criteria the parole board uses to determine who is released and rarely have legal assistance. They don鈥檛 receive explanations when they are denied. In some states, prisoners don鈥檛 even get a hearing or an interview before the parole board at all.

The report includes recommendations to bring fairness, transparency, and effectiveness to parole processes nationwide, changes that would affect prisoners who committed serious crimes as youth as well as the wider prisoner population. It also proposes sentencing reforms.

For the full report:
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