January 23, 2008
The state House Judiciary Committee heard more than three hours of emotional and often contradictory testimony Wednesday morning on Second Chance legislation to allow juvenile criminals sentenced to life behind bars without parole an opportunity to be rehabilitated and released.
Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Condino, D-Southfield, delayed votes on the measures but expressed support for the concept, saying that a society that doesn’t believe in the possibility of rehabilitation for its youngest members cannot claim to be civilized.
Despite strong opposition from prosecutors, Condino said: “I stand committed to working this through…and I’m already seeing some common ground.”
As introduced, the legislation would allow juveniles who were tried as adults (and 17-year-olds who are considered adults under Michigan criminal law) convicted of first-degree or felony murder the opportunity for parole review after 10 years behind bars. It would also allow parole review for those already serving life sentences. It is backed by an array of inmate and juvenile justice advocates, and pushed by the ACLU, which commissioned a study that found Michigan’s treatment of juvenile criminals was among the harshest in the world.
But Saginaw County Prosecutor Mike Thomas asked the committee to remember that murder victims, including those killed by teenagers, “don’t get a second chance.” Prosecuting juveniles as adults for life sentence crimes is rare, he said, but it is appropriate for elected prosecutors, who have access to the facts in each case and are accountable to the public, to make those decisions, he said.
