Introduction to Juvenile Lifers for Justice: Part I

• How many members in Juvenile Lifers for Justice?
  SCI Graterford has approximately 70. Statewide there are over 330.
  
• When was JLJ established?
  In November 2005 JLJ was established after the Human Rights Watch published their report in October of that year. The US Supreme Court decided Roper v. Simmons in March of that same year. The report "The Rest of Their Lives"(Human Rights Watch) brought attention to the issue of juveniles around the globe serving life sentences without parole. Included in that report was the USA where there are overe 2,225 juveniles serving life without parole compared to only 11 in three other countries. Pennsylvania has the greatest number of juveniles serving life sentences without parole: 332 and climbing.
  Also, as indicated in the Human Rights Watch report the sentencing of juvniles to life without parole violates the CRC(convention of Rights of the Child) treaty that over 123 nations have signed onto. The USA and Somalia are the only two countries that refused to sign the treaty.