Support of Senate Bill 399

Senate Bill 399, the “Fair Sentencing for Youth Act” would provide an opportunity for review and re-sentencing after ten years or more of incarceration for youth sentenced to life without parole in prison.

Advocate

To:

Your name: *

Your email: *

From mailing address

Street 1:

Street 2:

City:

State:

Postal Code:

Support for SB 399 – The Fair Sentencing for Youth Act

Message: *

In California, youth as young as 14 years old are sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. It is, in essence, a sentence to die in prison. Senate Bill 399 provides review of these cases after a youth offender (someone below the age of 18 at the time of the offense) has served a substantial amount of time in prison. It is an important piece of legislation because it protects public safety while at the same time recognizing that youth are different from adults. Given these facts, we strongly urge you to support SB 399 for the following reasons:&#160;1. SB 399 holds youth accountable but also provides a chance for young offenders to prove they have changed. Our laws should recognize that young people are especially capable of redemption, and require these offenders to work towards rehabilitation.&#160;2. Senate Bill 399 is fiscally wise legislation. Every youth life-without-parole case costs the state around $40,000 per year of incarceration. For someone sentenced to life in prison at age 14, 15, 16 or 17 years old, that means decades of increasing incarceration costs for our state. By focusing our resources on the cases that are a threat to public safety, SB 399 would save millions of dollars for California.&#160;3. SB 399 holds youth offenders responsible for their actions. The bill requires the offender to prove that he or she has chosen a different path in life and is worthy of parole consideration. It creates a strong system of checks and balances, as well: not only will an offender have to prove rehabilitation to a judge, but he or she will still face a parole board. We urge your support for this important legislation. &#160;Sincerely,

You can add text here to customize your meesage to the recipient.

I would like to subscribe to the CJCJ mailing list.