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Children in Adult Prison

Across the United States, thousands of children have been sentenced as adults and sent to adult prisons. Over 2200 juveniles nationwide have been sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Children as young as 13 years old have been tried as adults and sentenced to die in prison, typically without any consideration of their age or circumstances of the offense.

Many young children in America are imperiled by abuse, neglect, domestic and community violence, and poverty. Without effective intervention and help, these children suffer, struggle, and fall into despair and hopelessness. Some young teens cannot manage the emotional, social, and psychological challenges of adolescence and eventually engage in destructive and violent behavior. Sadly, many states have ignored the crisis and dysfunction that creates child delinquency and instead have subjected kids to further victimization and abuse in the adult criminal justice system.

For children with parole-eligible sentences, unique release and re-entry challenges too often create insurmountable obstacles to parole and successful re-entry. Young people who have been in prison since they were adolescents need help learning basic life skills.

News

United Nations Experts Examine Racism in the United States

May 28, 2008On May 26, 2008, United Nations Special Rapporteur on racism Doudou Diene heard testimony from EJI Executive Director Bryan Stevenson as part of his field mission to examine racism in the United States. Mr. Stevenson detailed evidence of racial bias against African Americans, Latinos, and other racial minorities, from the administration of the death penalty to the treatment of children in the criminal justice system.

Federal Court Reverses Conviction and Death-In-Prison Sentence Imposed on 14-Year-Old Missouri Child

March 26, 2008On Monday, March 24, 2008, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri reversed the conviction and sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole imposed on Phillip Shaw for a crime that occurred when he was 14 years old.

Executive Director Discusses Need to End Sentencing of Young Children to Die in Prison

March 26, 2008Today on Pacifica Radio, Executive Director Bryan Stevenson talked about EJI's work to challenge the sentencing of 13- and 14-year-old children to life imprisonment without the possiblity of parole. EJI has identified dozens of young children sentenced to die in prison in 19 states across the country. The United States is the only country in the world to sentence children as young as 13 to imprisonment until death. Click to listen to the interview.