Begging for Justice and mercy. Dewayne Shirley has been imprisoned for 25 years for a robbery gone horribly wrong. 

Back in 2000, three boys were involved in a robbery gone wrong in Oklahoma City. Dewayne Shirley was only 17 years old. He is now 42 years old and has sat in prison a long miserable 25 years. 

During the robbery, 2 boys went into the store, one went to restroom, and one to the register with a gun. As Dewayne walked into the store got himself stuck in the middle of a robbery gone wrong. The cashier pulled out one of multiple guns and shot at all the teens, killing one. Luckily the other 2 ran got away, Dewayne being one of the two whom made it out after, sadly seeing his friend killed.

Dewayne was charged with conspiracy, murder in the first degree, armed robbery, possession of a firearm ( No firearm was in his possession) and more. He has already served 25 long hard years, and is expected to serve life with a chance of parole, for a robbery gone wrong, where he also lost his friend.

Not only has Dewayne's rights have been stripped from him but also his voice as well. Dewayne has fought a losing battle with the courts.  He was given a cruel and harsh punishment I feel as a juvenile whom had no control over the situation that happen. 

We believe justice has been served, and so does the victims family. Dewayne deserves a shot at a real life. He is not some young boy, he has changed and learned a lot. He deserves to be a father to his son, who’s whole life he’s missed. I Believe he deserves a shot at freedom and life with his family and friends by his side. Please share, trying to get enough signatures to get attention of those we need to get this man home, where he belongs.. 

The juvenile justice system is supposed to rehabilitate minors, not turn their youthful mistakes into lifelong burdens. According to the National Center for Juvenile Justice, over 2,000 juveniles are tried and sentenced as adults every year in the United States. This subjects them to the same harsh penalties as adults, despite overwhelming evidence that children are fundamentally different from adults in terms of development and capacity for change.

Research by the Sentencing Project indicates that juveniles can be rehabilitated more effectively through programs aimed at education and personal development rather than through long-term incarceration. The American Psychological Association also notes that the adolescent brain is not fully developed in regions critical for decision-making and impulse control, which should guide more lenient sentencing.