Though the United States is one out of eleven nations legally allowing life sentences without the possibility of parole for juveniles, we are only one out of two nations to have so-called juvenile "lifers" among our population, and we are the only nation in the world currently administering such sentences. Out of the juveniles currently serving life sentences without the possibility of parole, 59% received such a sentence for their first offense, 16% were between the ages of 13 and 16, and 26% were convicted of homicide despite not pulling a trigger or carrying a weapon. The practice of life-without-parole sentences for juveniles is banned by Article 37a of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, which explicitly stated that it prohibits "life imprisonment without parole...for persons below eighteen years of age," and such sentences are additionally in violation of the several treaties, such as the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment and are opposed by Mental Health America. Evidence has proven that juveniles at risk for criminal behavior are not necessarily likely to be criminal adults, as well as that juveniles are lacking in certain traits, such as impulse control and ability to envision consequences, that may prevent them from displaying criminal behavior.

     I am writing today to request that legislation be proposed abolishing life sentences for juveniles offenders. The conditions of this legislation shall be as follows:

     -Persons under the age of eighteen years shall serve no more than thirty years in prison.

     -If a juvenile offender commits an offense for which the mandatory minimum sentence exceeds thirty years, then he shall serve thirty years in prison and shall serve the rest of the sentence as probation.

     -If a juvenile offender commits multiple offenses, then the sum of the sentences served in prison shall not exceed thirty years. However, additional time may be served as probation.

     -If a juvenile offender commits offenses in multiple states, then the sum of the sentences served in prison shall not exceed thirty years. However, additional time may be served as probation.

     -If an offender serving a sentence of thirty years in prison which he received as a juvenile commits another offense on or following his eighteenth birthday, then he shall be sentenced as is deemed appropriate by the sentencing court. 

     -If an offender serving a sentence of thirty years in prison which he received as a juvenile commits another offense before his eighteenth birthday, then he shall not be sentenced to a further prison term, however, he shall be sentenced to serve a probation term upon release from prison as is decided by the sentencing court.

     -If an offender serving a sentence of fewer than thirty years in prison to which he was sentenced as a juvenile commits another offense, then he shall be sentenced as is deemed appropriate by the sentencing court, however, he shall not be sentenced to more than thirty years in prison since he began serving time for his original offense. 

     -If an offender serving a sentence of fewer than thirty years in prison to which he has been sentenced as a juvenile commits an offense before his eighteenth birthday for which the mandatory minimum sentence is equal to or exceeds thirty years, then he shall be sentenced to serve time in prison until thirty years have passed since he or she began serving time in prison for the original offense, and he shall serve the remainder of this sentence as probation after he has served thirty years in prison.

     -If a juvenile commits an offense and is sentenced to a term in prison, is released, and commits an additional offense before his eighteenth birthday, then he may be sentenced to thirty years in prison.

     -Any state that does not comply with these Provisions shall lose federal funding.

    If this legislation is introduced, then not only shall juvenile offenders benefit, but the conditions of our nation shall also vastly improve. The number of federal inmates shall decrease, therefore allowing funds to be reallocated to beneficial programs - including juvenile rehabilitation programs.