At the Washington Post, Kari Lydersen writes:
Illinois Weighs Second Chances
Some See Juvenile Sentencing Laws As Overly Harsh
Illinois's mandatory life sentence law, with its tough provision for people whose role in a crime may have been small, was passed in the late 1970s at a time of concern over rising youth crime rates. Now, however, it is now being challenged.
A coalition of human rights groups, defense lawyers and lawmakers is backing legislation to do away with mandatory life sentences for juveniles and to reconsider the cases of those who were sentenced as juveniles and are serving now. Childres's cousin Julie Neilson, a Peoria area restaurant owner, is all for it, even though his mother was also her relative.
"These young men and women deserve a chance to have their stories looked at," Neilson said. "If we were to dig deeper in many of these cases, we'd probably find extreme child abuse. We can't just put them away and throw away the key."
But other victims' relatives and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago are outraged about the parole proposal, saying these detainees include the perpetrators of horrific crimes, almost half committed by 17-year-olds. State's attorney spokesman John Gorman said a youth would have to be convicted of multiple murder, the murder of a police officer or the murder of a child to receive life without parole.
Sunday's essays can be found here:
When Can We Expect Health Care Reform (Whoever Wins)? by DemFromCT
What We Love by DavidNYC
The Dean Legacy by Kos
The Opprobrium Awards by Devilstower
Blast from the Past: FDR's 'Hundred Days' Honeymoon - 1933 by Meteor Blades
EMILY's List, AFSCME and Federation of Teachers Have Kept the Clinton Campaign Alive by DHinMI
Days since Mission Accomplished: 1769
Direct costs per minute of the Iraq war and occupation: $238,425.
The Overnight News Digest has been posted.