Op-Eds COVID-19 Doesn’t Care What’s in Your Record. We Shouldn’t Either. Humans are fallible. Humans make mistakes and sometimes humans are wrong. Humans also have a large capacity to repair harm done, to heal, and to forgive. Humans are entitled to dignity and respect irrespective of their showing of infallibility. This includes those who are locked in cages throughout the United States. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, remember: America’s justice system still enforces racial oppression Over 50 years ago the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated for daring to fight for an America that placed justice at the center and saw the humanity in every man, woman and child. Five decades later, America has time and again failed to live up to these ideals and Dr. King's vision remains incomplete, especially when it comes to our justice system. How Judge Michael P. Toomin has resisted juvenile justice reform More than 100 years ago, the leaders of Cook County did something right, something so innovative that the rest of the nation followed. The innovation was the nation’s first court system for juveniles where children would not be judged next to adult offenders and might receive rehabilitation instead of incarceration. Why Illinois needs to restore parole for juvenile lifers In Illinois, the only possible sentence for double homicide is life without parole. Before 2012, this applied to children, even in cases where a person is involved in the murder but did not “pull the trigger.” News & Mentions Imprisoned for life at 15, freed after 25 years and now in law school. Mercy for children who commit crimes benefits society and the economy. The United States is the only country in the world known to sentence children to life in prison without the possibility of parole. A New Path: Chicago-Kent Student Gets Full-Ride Scholarship After Successfully Appealing Life Sentence He was sent to prison on a mandatory life sentence at the age of 15 for his role in a double murder, and like most lifers, Allen had acquired an interest in the law. From Life Behind Bars To Becoming Opposing Counsel: How Sentencing Reform Can Shape The Law If anyone has earned the right to be a gunner, it is him. But only during Crim Pro! Sweeping criminal justice reform package would curtail felony murder prosecutions in Illinois Illinois lawmakers are considering changing a controversial rule that allows individuals to be charged with murder when they commit certain felonies that lead to someone’s death. Race in Chicago: One Man's Fight For Redemption Marshan Allen was 15 years old when he says his brother sent him and two other older teens to an apartment on the South side of Chicago to take back cash and coke stolen by a fellow gang member. 9,008 days In 2016, more than 2,000 adults who were sent as kids to die in prison were given a second chance. Marshan Allen was one of them. The Felony Murder Rule As A ‘Representation Of What's Wrong In Our Criminal Legal System’ Spotlights like this one provide original commentary and analysis on pressing criminal justice issues of the day. Illinois law allows those involved with crime to be charged with murder if someone dies When a suburban homeowner shot and killed a 14-year-old boy who police said was with a group of teens as they tried to steal the homeowner's car, his five alleged accomplices were charged with murder thanks to an Illinois law. SCOTUS Takes Up D.C. Sniper Case — And The Fate Of Juvenile Life Sentences Should juveniles convicted of murder ever receive life in prison without the possibility of parole? The Supreme Court looks at the case of the D.C. Sniper, and raises the question of sentencing reform in juvenile justice. YOUR FUTURE YOUR CHOICE, an interactive program explaining our justice system. The judges in the Third Judicial Circuit and the Twentieth Judicial Circuit will be receiving training from the Illinois Judges Association on June 3, 2019 and June 4, 2019 on a new interactive program to be presented to high school students throughout the State. ILLINOIS JUDGES TAKE POLICE, COURT LESSONS TO SCHOOLS The Illinois Judges Associationis introducing a schools program to help young people learn how to interact with police. Crime Bill Would Not Prevent Kids From Being Sentenced To Die In Prison, Advocates Say Language that would protect minors from being sentenced to life without parole is not included in the First Step Act. Why more states are giving juvenile offenders a second chance When Marshan Allen was a teen in Chicago, he says he faced a tough choice: Go to class or help his older brother. The issue: His brother was selling drugs, as were many people on the South Side of Chicago in the 1990s. Why Are We Sentencing Children to Life in Prison Without Parole? The barbaric practice of sentencing children to life in prison without the possibility of parole remains one of the most radically inhumane aspects of our criminal justice system. Should Child Offenders Be Jailed for Life? At 29, Marshan Allen has spent nearly half his life in prison -- and he expects to spend the rest of his years there for a crime he committed at age 15.
