A second chance at freedom: support for Youthful Parole Bill and redemption
The Issue
A LIFE SENTENCE SHOULD NOT MEAN A LIFETIME WITHOUT HOPE
A SECOND CHANCE CAN CHANGE A LIFE, BUT EMPATHY CAN CHANGE THE WAY WE SEE AN ENTIRE GENERATION.
I am writing this petition as someone who knows firsthand what it means to live with the consequences of a youthful mistake. My name is Elliot Lee Robinson. At just 19 years old, I was sentenced to life in prison for abduction, carjacking, robbery, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. I was a first-time felon, and my sentencing guidelines were 17 to 21 years. Today, I have spent nearly 27 years incarcerated.
I am not asking society to forget the past, overlook the harm caused, or eliminate accountability. I am asking society to recognize that people can change, mature, learn, and become better human beings with time.
When a young person makes a serious mistake, that decision should not automatically determine the rest of their life without an opportunity to demonstrate growth and rehabilitation. Nearly three decades have taught me lessons that my 19-year-old self could never have understood. I have confronted the darker parts of my past, accepted responsibility, and worked toward becoming a better person.
THIS IS WHY VIRGINIA'S YOUTHFUL PAROLE BILL MATTERS.
The Youthful Parole Bill represents an opportunity for eligible individuals who committed offenses at a young age to receive meaningful consideration for parole based on their maturity, rehabilitation, personal growth, and accountability.
Supporting youthful parole does not mean dismissing victims, minimizing suffering, or excusing criminal behavior. It means recognizing that accountability and compassion can coexist. It means understanding that a person's capacity for change should not be ignored simply because their worst decision happened when they were young.
We are asking Virginia lawmakers, families, communities, and citizens to support the Youthful Parole Bill and give eligible individuals an opportunity to demonstrate who they have become, rather than judging them solely by who they were decades ago.
I know firsthand how difficult this journey can be. I also know that redemption is possible. I am not my worst decision. I am not my worst mistake. I believe today that I am worthy of an opportunity to demonstrate the person I have become.
Please stand with us. Support second chances. Support rehabilitation. Support accountability with empathy.
LET'S GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE WHO THEY HAVE BECOME, NOT JUST REMEMBER WHO THEY WERE.
Please sign and share this petition in support of Virginia's Youthful Parole Bill.
Learn more and join the movement:
https://supportforredemption.org
https://www.survivors4justicereformva.com
A second chance is not the erasure of the past. It is an opportunity to build a different future.THAT CHANGE IS POSSIBLE, THAT REDEMPTION IS REAL, AND THAT A SECOND CHANCE CAN CHANGE A LIFE.
96
The Issue
A LIFE SENTENCE SHOULD NOT MEAN A LIFETIME WITHOUT HOPE
A SECOND CHANCE CAN CHANGE A LIFE, BUT EMPATHY CAN CHANGE THE WAY WE SEE AN ENTIRE GENERATION.
I am writing this petition as someone who knows firsthand what it means to live with the consequences of a youthful mistake. My name is Elliot Lee Robinson. At just 19 years old, I was sentenced to life in prison for abduction, carjacking, robbery, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. I was a first-time felon, and my sentencing guidelines were 17 to 21 years. Today, I have spent nearly 27 years incarcerated.
I am not asking society to forget the past, overlook the harm caused, or eliminate accountability. I am asking society to recognize that people can change, mature, learn, and become better human beings with time.
When a young person makes a serious mistake, that decision should not automatically determine the rest of their life without an opportunity to demonstrate growth and rehabilitation. Nearly three decades have taught me lessons that my 19-year-old self could never have understood. I have confronted the darker parts of my past, accepted responsibility, and worked toward becoming a better person.
THIS IS WHY VIRGINIA'S YOUTHFUL PAROLE BILL MATTERS.
The Youthful Parole Bill represents an opportunity for eligible individuals who committed offenses at a young age to receive meaningful consideration for parole based on their maturity, rehabilitation, personal growth, and accountability.
Supporting youthful parole does not mean dismissing victims, minimizing suffering, or excusing criminal behavior. It means recognizing that accountability and compassion can coexist. It means understanding that a person's capacity for change should not be ignored simply because their worst decision happened when they were young.
We are asking Virginia lawmakers, families, communities, and citizens to support the Youthful Parole Bill and give eligible individuals an opportunity to demonstrate who they have become, rather than judging them solely by who they were decades ago.
I know firsthand how difficult this journey can be. I also know that redemption is possible. I am not my worst decision. I am not my worst mistake. I believe today that I am worthy of an opportunity to demonstrate the person I have become.
Please stand with us. Support second chances. Support rehabilitation. Support accountability with empathy.
LET'S GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE WHO THEY HAVE BECOME, NOT JUST REMEMBER WHO THEY WERE.
Please sign and share this petition in support of Virginia's Youthful Parole Bill.
Learn more and join the movement:
https://supportforredemption.org
https://www.survivors4justicereformva.com
A second chance is not the erasure of the past. It is an opportunity to build a different future.THAT CHANGE IS POSSIBLE, THAT REDEMPTION IS REAL, AND THAT A SECOND CHANCE CAN CHANGE A LIFE.
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Petition created on November 1, 2026