Redemption of Life Sentenced Children

A belief in redemption and second chances lies at the heart of faith traditions, and we must put in place youth sentencing policies that are in harmony with the fundamental truth that people change, that God changes people. Our faith teaches us that we are, all of us, more than the worst thing we have ever done, particularly when they were 15, 16, or 17 years old. When a person who has served a lengthy sentence for a crime she or he committed as a child is able to demonstrate rehabilitation, we must give them an opportunity to lean into the future God has in store for them outside prison walls.