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We at Pendulum Foundation believe in rehabilitation as well as retribution - and that all children deserve a second chance.
To the right are the 5 cases highlighted on the PBS Frontline special,
"WHEN KIDS GET LIFE" originally broadcast on May 8, 2007
Joan Ostrow The Denver Post
"As she has done in several previous award-winning efforts, writer-director-producer Bikel tackles underlying social questions and psychological motivations as she explores a peculiar corner of American criminal justice. Her speciality (sic) has long been examinations of wrongful convictions. ...
"'When Kids Get Life' joins the formidable Bikel archive, beseeching us to think hard about what constitutes justice."
Case Studies
You can read and interact with family members of these and other cases on our message boards. Please join in and see how you can help.
Please read a Special Report from the Denver Post about a unbelievable miscarriage of justice. The story of Tim Masters will give you pause for thought.
Colorado Inmates
Those sentenced to life without parole when they were teenagers
The Pendulum Foundation strives to ensure that juveniles caught in the legal system are treated AS juveniles. While it is true that some of these kids commit heinous and horrific crimes and like anyone, should be punished for their actions, in most cases it is believed that the juvenile brain is not developed sufficiently enough to allow a child to fully understand their actions. That is not to say that a 15, 16 or 17 year old does not know it is wrong to kill. However it does tells us that those same 15, 16 and 17 year olds simply do not contemplate the idea of the extent of what punishment they may receive.
Life in prison without parole just doesn't sound the same to a teenager as it does to a career criminal.
So when a child commits a crime and it is their very first offense, should they not be given a chance to rehabilitate themselves rather than spend the rest of their lives behind bars? The length of a life sentence to a 15 year old is actually more severe than a life sentence to a 30 or 40 year old second or third time offender simply by realizing the extended number of years they must serve.
We believe the laws in Colorado are open for change and we work dillegently to bring about those changes and give kids another opportunity to benefit the community and those they have actually offended against.
You can learn more by joining our message boards and becoming an active part of our work and the process. Please visit our forums and join our team.
"WHEN KIDS GET LIFE"
He killed his parents after years of abuse, but even some of the jurors who convicted him wonder if he deserved life without parole
A player in a botched carjacking, he was only 15 when he was charged with first-degree murder and imprisoned; now he's serving time at Colorado's maximum-security facility.
Serving life without parole for a con gone bad, Trevor Jones is an example of the exacting logic of Colorado's felony murder statute.
Erik was there when Nate killed his abusive mother. Nate says Erik didn't do anything, but they're both serving life without parole for her death.
courtesy of DenverPost.com
Or you can donate to Pendulum Juvenile Justice, a 501c4, for lobbying and legislative issues such as the HR-4300 bill. Your donation is not tax deductible.
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COLORADO KIDS
