MORE FROM HUFFPOST
MORE FROM HUFFPOST
life without parole
Once signed into law, the bill would give parole eligibility to some of Louisiana’s elderly prisoners who have spent decades longer in prison than they were told to expect.
Many people are trapped in lifelong prison sentences after initially being promised a chance at release after 10 years and 6 months.
Life sentences in Louisiana used to come with the opportunity of early release for good behavior. When the rules changed, these people were left behind in Angola and forgotten for decades.
The court’s conservatives said there is no need to prove a minor who commits murder is “permanently incorrigible” in order to sentence them to life in prison without parole.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
WHAT'S HAPPENING
Jason Hernandez never thought he would see the outside world again.
Judge H. Lee Sarokin wrote: "The Guilty Have a Better Chance for Parole or Pardon Than the Innocent." As an innocent prisoner, I've witnessed this myself for the last two decades (and counting). The only thing that has changed over time is that more and more corruption is being exposed. The
Thousands of individuals who were subjected to harsh penalties as children now have the possibility of release. The question now remains of what their future entails.
When prosecutors and judges feel comfortable sending each other racist and sexually explicit emails for fun, something is wrong. This same cozy and corrupt system allowed my innocence to be swept under the rug for years. It's time for accountability and justice for me and so many others who have suffered from wrongful convictions.
Bryan Stevenson is unwavering in that vision and in lifting his voice of great moral clarity at the forefront of the struggle. Every new hard-earned and overdue victory should remind us all that we must keep moving towards greater justice for all.
