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Prevention of Crime is the Key to This Whole Problem NOVJL wishes to focus the national discussion of what to do about juvenile killers and violent teens onto what we know to be the real solution to the "problem" of so many juvenile killers serving life without parole sentences - something that we wished the whole nation had been focused on before our loved ones were murdered - PREVENTION. We know that almost every single "juvenile lifer's" sentence resulted from actions that they took that were entirely preventable. We know that in most cases there were people in their lives that were aware of their danger signs, that were in a position to do something to intervene. Since we are the living legacies of those murdered, whose lives can never be brought back, we often feel little short of outrage over the advocacy for the offenders that takes no time or energy at all to work on prevention of such violence. We need to change the public discourse around the issue of juveniles who kill. We call on the entire national community advocating for the juvenile lifers to devote fully half of their time and half of their resources advocating for prevention efforts, as many of us do, and to helping the victims of these crimes. Only then will their movement have the credibility that is needed to make the kind of broad social change they are calling for. And we believe that by working together on prevention issues, victims and advocates for the young killers may begin, in true restorative justice fashion, to find common ground on which to proceed. LINKS to some organizations and resources that focus on juvenile crime prevention:
LINKS to Organizations that focus on crime and violence prevention in general
CRIME FIGHTING IDEAS
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/councilman-wants-duress-system-at-atms-in-wake-of-teens-murder.html
How ATM machines could be made more criminal-proof
A leading talking point for offender advocates who wish to entirely end the use of the Juvenile Life Without Parole sentence (JLWOP) is that juvenile offenders present a better hope for rehabilitation. We want to stake unequivocally that we ALL believe in the hope of rehabilitation, and we deeply resent the implication that those of us who support JLWOP somehow do not support rehabilitation. We support JLWOP sometimes because we have seen up close those rare cases where it is clearly called for. But the offender advocates are making some ill-thought out arguments regarding rehabilitation. We know it is very important that Prisons provide PROGRAMS and opportunities to encourage rehabilitation, and to give incarcerated offenders who demonstrate responsible rehabilitation to be of service to others, both inside and outside the prison. NOVJL strongly urges funding support for such programs. Most offenders are released from prison at some point. Much can be done, even by "lifers" to help make the world a better place by helping each other. A few important points about Juvenile Killers, violent teens, and Rehabilitation: 1. Many JLWOP cases
already were incarcerated for other violent crimes, sometimes even rape and
murder, and were let out on parole because they received the "lighter" sentences
often reserved for more youthful offenders. Yet they killed and raped again,
leaving them serving this time life sentences. 3. There is the question of what is the appropriate punishment for the crime is, no matter the condition or age of the offender. Life without parole for an aggravated murder or murders is entirely appropriate in many cases. 4. The crimes that must be
committed to receive the JLWOP sentence are so serious and rise so far beyond
the routine juvenile offense that the normal standards simply do not apply.
Remember, we are only talking about a dozen or so cases a year nationally out of
MILLIONS of crimes.
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