Baltimore IMC : http://www.baltimoreimc.org
Baltimore IMC

Commentary :: Civil & Human Rights

BTL:Advocates Challenge Life Without Parole Sentences for Youth Convicted of Capital Crimes

BETWEEN THE LINES Syndicated Radio Newsmagazine
Advocates Challenge Life Without Parole Sentences for Youth Convicted of Capital Crimes

Interview with Ashley Nellis, research analyst with the Sentencing Project, conducted by Melinda Tuhus

Advocates for those incarcerated for life without parole for crimes committed when they were juveniles have taken heart from a U.S. Supreme Court decision in May. The justices ruled that a sentence of life without parole for minors convicted of crimes other than murder is unconstitutional. At the time,130 persons were serving such a sentence, more than half of them in Florida.

Now lawyers are pushing to see if various extenuating circumstances surrounding their own juvenile clients' convictions for murder might also be addressed. According to a report by the Equal Justice Initiative, many youths who receive sentences of life without parole don't have the ability to pay for a private attorney. Most of them come from low-income families, and some come from intense poverty. Many of them are raised in abusive homes and are more vulnerable to getting swept up into violence.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Ashley Nellis, a research analyst with the Sentencing Project. She talks about the kinds of crimes that can lead to life without parole and hopes that the Supreme Court will address the issue head on.

LISTEN to the interview by clicking on one of the links below:

RealAudio:
btlonline.org/2010/ram/101015b-btl-nellis.ram
MP3:
btlonline.org/download/101015b-btl-nellis.mp3

LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below:

RealAudio:
btlonline.org/2010/ram/101015-btl.ram

MP3
btlonline.org/download/

SEE the Between the Lines website by clicking on the link below:

www.btlonline.org

***********************************

For more information please write to: mail(AT)btlonline.org

"Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: www.btlonline.org
*
"Between the Lines," WPKN 89.5 FM's weekly radio news magazine can be heard Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET; Wednesdays at 8 a.m. ET and Saturdays at 2 p.m. ET (Wednesday's show airs at 7:30 a.m. ET during fundraising months of April and October).
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Weekly Summary" which features a RealAudio link to the week's program for Between The Lines, send an email to btlsummary-subscribe-AT-lists.riseup.net
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Q&A" which features a RealAudio link and weekly transcript to one of the interviews featured on Between The Lines, send an email to btlqa-subscribe-AT-lists.riseup.net
*
Between the Lines
c/o Squeaky Wheel Productions
P.O. Box 110176
Trumbull, CT 06611
*
www.squeakywheel.net/
 
 
 

This site made manifest by dadaIMC software