Monday 14 December 2015

Lets spread the love on this hoilday and send a christmas card to #DavontaeSanford #Detroit #Michigan

Beyond Scared Straight: Season 9's Weakest Teens | A



Some
teens find out very quickly that they can't cut it behind bars. See
some of Season 9's biggest freak-outs and saddest tears in this web
exclusive. #BeyondScaredStraight

Subscribe for more from Beyond Scared Straight and other great A&E shows:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c...

Find out more about the show on our site:
http://www.aetv.com/beyond-scared-str...

Watch full episodes here:
http://www.aetv.com/beyond-scared-str...

See some of the show's success stories in this playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

Friday 4 December 2015

ICAN in Nevada 2015



Nevada was one of three states that abolished life without parole for children during the 2015 legislative session.

The
Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network (ICAN), which is an initiative
of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, puts a human face

Saturday 28 November 2015

GROWING UP IN PRISON JUVENILES SERVING LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE



A
short documentary about juveniles sentenced to life in prison without
parole. Original short documentary made by Josh Sahib and Sydney
Prather. We Share

A Family Weathers a Life Sentence



Odell
Newton was 16 when he killed a Baltimore cab driver during an attempted
robbery in 1973. The state of Maryland charged Newton with first degree
murder and sentenced him to life in prison. Over four decades later,
his family is still hoping for release, although Maryland has
effectively abolished parole for lifers—even juvenile offenders such as
Odell. His family maintains that he is a reformed man. "He's not the
same person he was when he was 16," says his sister Jackie Anderson in
this short documentary by The Atlantic.

This video is part of
The Atlantic's October cover story, "The Black Family in the Age of Mass
Incarceration." Read the full story: http://theatln.tc/1MnL4Gf

Authors: Greyson Korhonen, Daniel Lombroso, Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg, Ta-Nehisi Coates

Supreme Court to hear life sentence arguments for juveniles



In 2012, court ruled that minors could not be sentenced to mandatory life terms without parole.
Jonathan Martin reports.

JUVENILE LIFE – Anthony's Redemption



Anthony
Williams, a member of the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network
(ICAN), was wrongfully convicted of first degree murder when he was a
child. Listen to his heart gripping and inspirational story, and why no
child should be sentenced to life without parole.

ICAN is an
initiative of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. This
interview took place on KOPN 89.5 FM with radio host Steve Spellman.

Saturday 14 November 2015

When Is A Child Guilty Of Murder?



What Rights Do Prisoners Have? - Part 1 http://testu.be/1P4wz8h
What Rights Do Prisoners Have? - Part 2 http://testu.be/1HomIDS
Subscribe! http://bitly.com/1iLOHml

States
have various age thresholds for prosecuting kids as adults depending on
the severity of the crime. When is a child guilty of murder?

Learn More:
Adolescent Maturity and the Brain: The Promise and Pitfalls of Neuroscience Research in Adolescent Health Policy
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/artic...
"Longitudinal neuroimaging studies demonstrate that the adolescent brain continues to mature well into the 20s."

Juveniles Tried as Adults
http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/structu...
"What is the youngest age that a juvenile can be transferred to criminal court for trial as an adult?"

In 'Juvenile In Justice,' Children Caught in America's Prison System
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles...
"More than 70,000 children are held in U.S. juvenile jails."

Programs aim to rehabilitate rather than incarcerate



In
America's juvenile justice system, experts say girls, who make up a
larger portion of incarcerated youth than in the past, have often been
victims of trauma and abuse. Now, programs in Jacksonville, Florida, aim
to rehabilitate rather than incarcerate. NewsHour's Megan Thompson
reports.


View Full Story/Transcript: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/treat-...

Juvenile Detention



Tonight
we're getting an inside look at where Nehemiah is being held. The
Bernanlillo County Juvenile Detention Center houses more than 60
teenagers.

Girlhood: Documentary chronicling America's justice
system. Follows two female inmates - victims of horrific violence and
tragedy - who are serving time in a ...

"The United States still
puts more children and teenagers in juvenile detention than any other
developed nations in the world, with about 70000 detained on any ...

Drop a Like homie! Subscribe for more :D *SOCIAL MEDIA* -Follow me on Twitter: -Twitch Livestreams: ...

Some initial footage of Pope Francis arrival and celebrating Maundy Thursday liturgy at a youth detention centre near Rome.

The Supreme Court ruled earlier this

Juvenile Detention

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Davontae Sanford's Birthday November 26


Davontae Sanford's Birthday November 26  Let's all give a gift to Davontae . There are many things we can do which would make a nice birthday gift for him. Here are some ideas.- Send a letter to Davontae telling him we haven't forgotten him and we continue to fight to get the truth out about his case.- Tell a friend about the details of Davontae's caseDavontae Sanford-684070Ionia Maxmium Correctional Fac.1576 W.Bluewater Highway Ionia,Mi 48446

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Petitioning Governor Jerry Brown Pardon for Sara Kruzan




Michael Juster Alcabideche, Portugal
Sara J. Kruzan is now 37 years old. Google and Youtube her story, but a few headlines; Sara grew up in a chaotic environment,surrounded by abuse and drugs. She was continuously abused and molested throughout her childhood. At 11 she was raped. At 13 she was gangraped, and forced into child sex trafficking throughout California. Her trafficker was 20 years older than Sara . At 16, under threats that her mother would be killed if Sara didn't comply with orders, she finally broke down, and shot her trafficker,her abuser, while he was getting ready to rape her once more! Sara's defence attorney called no witnesses during her 2 day trial. Sara was sentenced at 17, to Life without the possibility of parole! The judge later admitted in letters to the courts, that grave mistakes were made by him during the trial. Sara spent the next 19 years incarcerated. Convinced that she would die in prison, she still became a 'model inmate' helping other inmates, facilitating classes in prison, mentoring hundreds of students through letters, and creating a 'self help' programme that the CA parole board later found extremely impressive. Sara, through working long hours,every day while incarcerated, also paid off every cent of her 10.000 dollar fine to Victims Services.
Through a tiredless effort by her pro-bono team of lawyers, and public campaigning - but most of all, Sara's own efforts and impeccable behaviour, all parties, from the procecutors office, to the CA Supreme court and the then Governor, agreed that Sara's sentence was excessive. And that she deserved a parole hearing. That parole hearing took place in June 2013. All parties agreed, that society would be much better off, by finally letting Sara come home! Sara was paroled in October 2013. Since then, she has continued where she left off while incarcerated. She has been honored by The Berkeley Law school in CA, and by the Washington DC based,Campaign for the fair sentencing of Youth. She has given keynote speeches from coast to coast and continues to work for a more just Juvenile justice system. Just this month, Sara will speak in Utah, Washington DC,NJ,TX and be interviewed on ABC. She has mentored a highschool basketball team. She continues advocating for victims of child sex trafficking, volunteering and helping raise awareness on the horrible collateral damage that takes place, on juveniles within the prison system in California.
Sara has also become the mother of a wonderful little daughter.
Now.....it's time for Sara to finally gain the freedom that you and I take for granted every day. Which is, not having to bear all the restrictions that continued parole puts on her! Sara's current restrictions have her on a 5 years to Life, parole. That means restrictions on where she can go, when she has to report for meetings, where she can apply for a job, etc etc.  This could be for life.  That is wrong and unjust.

Sara was a victim of abuse and injustice. She has put all that behind her and has for many years now proved, that she means it when she says, that she wants to better our society. Help our children avoid living the life that she was forced into as a child. She is doing just that, as we speak! Please, join me in this petition and ask Governor Jerry Brown of California, to finally grant her the pardon that she so much deserves. To let her off of all the restrictions, that being on parole puts on her. Please sign this petition.  Help Sara gain her full freedom.  The Governor of California will hear your voice.
https://www.change.org/p/jerry-brown-pardon-for-sara-kruzan?recruiter=431964&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink 

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Give Cyntoia Brown a fair trial as a minor as she should have had from the beginning



Cyntoia Brown is serving a life sentence in Tennessee Prison for Women for the murder of Johnny Allen. However, there is evidence to support that she did this in self-defense, she was 16 at the time of the incident AND was tried as an adult.There is also evidence to suggest that Cyntoia has some mental and emotional disorders as a result of being abused as a child. Please help her get a re-trial so that the mistake of giving her a life sentence can be corrected.
In 2004, Cyntoia Brown was arrested for murder. There was no question that a 43-year-old man is dead and that she killed him. What mystified filmmaker Daniel Birman was just how common violence among youth is, and just how rarely we stop to question our assumptions about it. He wondered in this case what led a girl — who grew up in a reasonable home environment — to this tragic end?
Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story explores Cyntoia’s history and her future. Without attempting to excuse her crime as youthful indiscretion nor to vilify her as an example of a generation gone off the rails, Birman simply follows Cyntoia through six years of her life after the crime, and searches for answers to persistent questions.
In a world where children are finding themselves caught in the chaos and fear of abusive parents leading abusive lifestyles, is it any wonder so many children are finding themselves facing lengthy prison sentences.
Cyntoia Brown is one of these children, born into a life of parental drug and alcohol abuse, prostitution and eventually being placed in foster care.
She was influenced early on in life that the way to treat others was the way she herself was treated, that to survive prostitution was not a quick way to earn money but a survival tactic.
Society continually condemns and screams for change where children are physically and sexually abused, emotionally abused, it seems this very child commits a crime viewed as so heinous no one should reach out and try to save her.
Placing children in Adult Prisons has become a very matter of fact procedure in the court rooms of the US, placing them in situations of fear and abuse very much identical to the life they rebelled against on the street.
If a child commits a serious crime of cause they must be punished, but the focus should be on rehabilitative not retributive.
I'm asking for people to help this young lady that needs our help not to be further harmed to help her and get what is needed a fair re-trial as a youth since she was only a youth at the time at a mere 16 years old...if this unjust stays the way it is she wont be out till shes in her 60's that's a whole life wasted I know Cyntoia is sorry for what happened
Please lets help this young lady that has lived a hard life right from the get go and get her the fair re-trial she deserves as a youth
Letter to

Saturday 24 October 2015

Prison Kids: What's it like being held in solitary confinement



In
Prison Kids: A Crime Against America's Children, we follow the stories
of kids who have been locked up and have suffered as a result of
America's broken juvenile justice system. Brian was incarcerated as a
minor. He says he was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder and
that he spent time in solitary confinement. Here, he opens up about the
effect it had on him, then and now.

Inside a jail for kids in Louisiana: A 360 experience



The
US incarcerates more children than any developed country on earth. In
this 360-degree tour of the Youth Study Center in New Orleans, you can
explore how juveniles live on the inside. Be sure to use your VR
glasses.

This is what's wrong with our juvenile justice system



The
U.S. locks up more kids than any other developed country, but it's not
making our country any safer. Here's why our juvenile justice system is
broken and needs to be fixed.

Prison Kids: Juvenile Justice in America | Full Documentary



We
incarcerate children at a higher rate than any other developed country.
Kids make mistakes — sometimes large, sometimes small. And every day in
America, they can be locked up in stark, mismanaged hellholes and
marked for life.

Fusion traveled across the country, gathering
the stories of kids who grew up behind bars. We found children subjected
to solitary confinement; mental health problems; physical, mental, and
sexual abuse; racial inequities; lives ruined forever at an early age

Thursday 22 October 2015

#YJAM: The Story of Keela Hailes, Juvenille Justice Advocate

This theme for this year's Youth Justice Awareness Month is, "The Power
of Sharing Stories". All month long CFYJ will share stories of youth and
family members that have been impacted by the adult criminal justice
system. This week we share the story of juvenile justice advocate, Keela
Hailes.

Keela is the mother of an incarcerated youth in the
adult prison system. Keela and her son moved to Anacostia in D.C. when
her son was 14 years old. Anacostia is located in Ward 8 of D.C. which
has a population composed of roughly 95% African-Americans and is also
the most impoverished ward with about 51% of its children living in
poverty. At 16 her son started hanging out with a different group of
friends, and his grades started slipping. One day she received a phone
call telling her that her son was arrested. She went to the juvenile
court where his hearing was to be taken place to look for answers.
However, being that this was her first experience with the system she
was confused when she noticed that there were adults in the same
courtroom that her son was to be brought in. After waiting about 40
minutes her son was presented alongside two other individuals. Her son
was being charged with armed robbery which came to a shock to her since
she had no idea what was happening. She tried asking the attorney what
was going on, but the attorney had little knowledge as well since she
was just appointed the case at that moment. When her son didn’t come
back out from the hearing she was informed that her son had been tried
as an adult and that he was to be held in D.C. jail. He was eventually
transferred to Wisconsin and then Devil’s Lake, North Dakota to serve
his sentence in adult prisons.

There was a period where Keela
had not seen her son for about a year and a half until she was given an
opportunity to fly out to see him. The Campaign for Youth Justice paid
for her flight and hotel and she was able to visit her son for a
weekend. When her son finally returned to D.C. he was not in the state
of mind to be relaxed. He was in an awkward stage because he knew he set
a bad example for his family and siblings. To be back in the community
that influenced him to take actions that eventually got him arrested was
one of the concerns that Keela had. He was eventually re-arrested in
2010. Keela saw that the community needed more resources to help youth
so she started working with Free Minds, a book club/writing workshop for
youth detained as adults. Keela worked with young adults who were out
of prison looking to re-enter society, and she tried helping them with
resources for housing, job readiness and anything they needed. The way
she puts it, “I would want someone to do the same thing for my son.”

Friday 9 October 2015

#YJAM: The Story of Juan Peterson- Juvenile Justice Advocate



Juan
grew up in Washington, D.C., in a section of town that is plagued by
violence. His father was in and out of jail, so he grew up primarily
with his mom and younger brother. He was never a “problem” child, and
didn’t get into trouble until his mid-teens. At 16, police went into his
home at night to arrest him for an armed robbery carjacking. He awoke
to the barrel of a rifle pointed at him. As he was being taken into
custody, he remembers that he was afraid of the “unknown”. He was left
in the dark with no lawyer, not knowing what was going on, and no
communication with his family. When he went to court, he admitted to
knowing about a possible carjacking that one of his friends or
acquaintances committed, but he was never there. This was enough to try
him as an adult with a conspiracy conviction, which sentenced him to
eight years in adult prison. He was transferred far from his family in
D.C. first to Montana, then to Washington State, Utah, California and
finally Virginia.



“Getting out was the easy part, staying out is
hard,” he recalls. There is no exit procedure from prison, no
psychological evaluation, no assessment of education or career skills,
or assessment of whether he had a home to return. Juan received a
promise that he needed to find a job or he would be put back in prison.
However, getting a job was difficult due to his record. He could not
get a job as a warehouse worker, which he was more than qualified for.
He had fifty seven job interviews before he was given an opportunity
somewhere. Now he works at a hospital and volunteers with a group called
Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop. Free Minds is an
organization that offers resources to youth incarcerated as adults. The
resources they provide range from job readiness training, outlets for
creative expression, violence prevention outreach and more. The unique
aspect of Free Minds, is that some volunteers, like Juan, have formerly
been incarcerated and can youth who are incarcerated a positive example
to follow. They show that there is potential in everyone and that there
is still room to have a positive impact on the community.

Wednesday 23 September 2015

#Still_i_RYSE



RYSE
Youth Member talks about his experience of needing family love and how
the lack of it put him in a very vulnerable position. This video was
created for the InstaFilm Festival hosted under the Youth Justice
department of RYSE.

Tuesday 22 September 2015

Documentary | Children Behind Bars: American Youth Violence



Documentary
meeting some of America's most dangerous young offenders. The Wabash
Valley Correctional Facility in Indiana is home to 40 teenagers serving
terms of up to 65 years for a range of serious crimes. This programme
follows those spending their first night in the maximum-security prison
and others preparing to move up to adult jail. They include Blake
Layman, 17, sentenced to 55 years for murder, and Ireland MacKean, 16,
who says he wants to stay out of trouble behind bars as he starts a
10-year term for robbery.

Tuesday 15 September 2015

Improving the Relationship Between Youth and Police



Xavier
McElrath-Bey speaking about his experiences of police brutality and
where we can begin to heal the relationship between community youth and
law enforcement.

Xavier McElrath-Bey and Sara Kruzan of the
Incarcerated Children's Advocacy Network presented at the 2014 Models
for Change Conference in Washington DC

Monday 24 August 2015

#EndYouthSolitary



National
Center for Youth Law's DeAngelo Cortijo and Youth Justice Coalition's
Tanisha Denard and Edilberto Flores speak about the brutality of
solitary confinement. Produced and directed by Marco Villalobos.

Beyond Scared Straight: Michael Sees His Cousin in Jail (S9, E9)



14-year-old
Micheal is sent on a prison tour after possibly impregnating his
22-year-old girlfriend in this collection of scenes from "St. Clair, IL:
Lexi's Lockup Lash-Out."

Wednesday 12 August 2015

Beyond Scared Straight: The Teens Meet Ex-Cons (S9, E7)



The teens meet a group of intimidating ex-cons in this scene from "Richland Country, SC: Final Jeopardy."

Beyond Scared Straight: Dylan Fights His Mother on Camera (S9, E7)



Dylan's
mother and brother are terrified of the physical abuse he puts them
through in this scene from "Richland Country, SC: Final Jeopardy."

Beyond Scared Straight: Tony's Prison Experience (S9, E7)



Tony's hardheadedness gets him put through the ringer in this web exclusive from "Richland Country, SC: Final Jeopardy."

Sunday 9 August 2015

Hitman confesses to 4 Detroit murders that teen got convicted of



Devontae Sanford was 14 when he was sentenced to 90 years in prison.

Eight
years later, a growing pile of evidence and a reported confession by a
professional hitman is casting doubt on the conviction.

In 2007,
Sanford was sentenced as an adult for the murder of four people on
Runyon Street in Detroit. He pleaded guilty and confessed to his
involvement. His current attorney says the legal system failed him.

"He
only accepted a guilty plea once he was in the middle of a trial and
come face to face with the fact that his defense attorney was not going
to do anything to defend him," attorney Megan Crane said.

Sanford's mother said his release would be the greatest joy.

"I
haven't held Devontae in over eight years," Taminko Sanford Tilmon
said. "I don't know. I would be just overwhelmed with joy when I can
touch him."

A new confession from a known and convicted hitman
has attorneys from the Michigan Innocence Clinic saying Sanford is
innocent and deserves a new trial.

That hitman, Vincent Smother, confessed to 12 murders from prison including the four Sanford was convicted of committing.

Smothers
wrote in a sworn affidavit that was turned over to the court: "Davontae
Sanford is being wrongly incarcerated for crimes I know he did not
commit."

Attorneys say this confession is more than enough to warrant a new trial.

"For
far too long the truth in this case has been hidden and suppressed
Detroit police and prosecutors," Crane said. "That truth is a
professional hitman committed the crime for which Davontae Sanford is
doing the time."

A spokesperson for the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office issued a statement saying they plan to argue its position in court.

Meanwhile a mother and son are making plans for when they will get to be a family again.

"I
told him, I said 'when you get home I'm not going to sleep,'" Tilmon
said. "He was like 'what do you mean you are not going to sleep?' I said
'I just want to lay and watch you sleep'. I said 'I am not going to
sleep the first night you get home.'"

Prosecutors will have about
60 days to respond to this request for a new trial and if they do get
that new trial we're told this lengthy and detailed confession from
Smothers may be admissible.

Monday 3 August 2015

Beyond Scared Straight: Brittany's Prison Experience (S9, E6)



After
threatening her parents with a knife, Brittany is sent on a prison
tour. See how she reacted in this collection of scenes from "Douglas,
GA: Concrete & Steel."

Friday 24 July 2015

Beyond Scared Straight: Brothers Beg Their Parents to Let Them Come Home...



Carter
and Matthew each break down during their parents' visit to the jail in
this collection of scenes from "Dougherty County, GA: Weekend Worriers."



Subscribe for more from Beyond Scared Straight and other great A&E shows:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c...

#BeyondScaredStraight

Find out more about the show on our site:
http://www.aetv.com/beyond-scared-str...

Watch full episodes here:
http://www.aetv.com/beyond-scared-str...

See some of the show's success stories in this playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

Beyond Scared Straight: Carter's Prison Experience (S9, E5)



See
how easily-influenced 13-year-old Carter handles his prison tour and if
he changes in the aftermath in this web exclusive from "Dougherty
County, GA: Weekend Worriers."



Subscribe for more from Beyond Scared Straight and other great A&E shows:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c...

#BeyondScaredStraight

Find out more about the show on our site:
http://www.aetv.com/beyond-scared-str...

Watch full episodes here:
http://www.aetv.com/beyond-scared-str...

Beyond Scared Straight: Cin'Que Sees His Brother in Jail (S9, E5)



Cin'Que
is shocked by his brother Ke'Yon's experiences as a prison inmate in
this scene from "Dougherty County, GA: Weekend Worriers."

Beyond Scared Straight: Matthew's Prison Experience (S9, E5)



Watch how a prison tour affects abusive 12-year-old Matthew in this web exclusive from "Dougherty County, GA: Weekend Worriers."







Subscribe for more from Beyond Scared Straight and other great A&E shows:

http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c...

Wednesday 22 July 2015

LOST FOR LIFE - Documentary on Youth In Prison with Joshua Rofé



LOST
FOR LIFE, the documentary tracing the effects of imprisonment on youth
offenders, and how life sentencing for minors has caused a moral crisis
in the justice system, is shared with the trailer and discussion
courtesy of director Joshua Rofé. The broken system, lost concept of
rehabilitation, and the larger concept of forgiveness in a society that
is fixated on punishment is all explored in this Media Mayhem interview.

GUEST BIO:
Joshua
Rofé is a director and writer known for THE GRAY IN BETWEEN, BROOKLYN
BATTERY and THE SMALLEST RIVER IN ALMIRANTE. He was born in Brooklyn,
New York to immigrant parents. Discovering the films of Rainer Werner
Fassbinder, Martin Scorsese, John Cassavetes, and Werner Herzog set him
on the path of making films. It was the sense of urgency and brutal
honesty in their respective works that inspired and helped shape him as a
filmmaker. After hearing a story from a friend’s father, who is a
judge, about a 15-year-old girl he had sentenced to Life Without Parole,
Rofé knew what his next film would be LOST FOR LIFE, which is also his
first documentary.
In the United States today, more than 2,500
individuals are serving life-without-parole sentences for crimes they
committed when they were 17 years old or younger. Children as young as
13 are among the thousands serving these sentences. LOST FOR LIFE, tells
the stories of these individuals, of their families' and of the
families of victims of juvenile murder. It is the result of
writer-director-producer Joshua Rofé’s intensive efforts over four
years.

Friday 12 June 2015

Locked Up for Skipping School: Christel's Story | FRONTLINE





Subscribe on YouTube: http://bit.ly/1BycsJW

There are 2.3 million people locked up in the United States, around half for non-violent crimes. This is Christel's story. She says she's locked up for skipping school. 

Watch the full documentary, "Prison State" here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontli...

Thursday 11 June 2015

Stuck In The School-To-Prison Pipeline





Getting into trouble as a kid is easy. But if the punishment is juvenile hall or probation, getting out isn't so simple. The CARE program (Center for Academic Re-Entry and Empowerment) focuses on at-risk youth and aims to give them the self-worth they need to pull themselves up. Click the link to learn more about the program at the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA: http://www.ymcasf.org/bayview

American Kids & The School-To-Prison Pipeline





Back in the day, when you got in trouble at school, it usually meant you were heading off to the principal's office or to detention. These days? Getting in trouble at school can mean ending up in the juvenile justice system. But how does that happen and who does it affect?

School To Prison Pipeline Robs Young People Of Their Future





Watch the full AJ+ clip here: https://goo.gl/Zsu1CP

Ben Mankiewicz (What The Flick?) and Ana Kasparian (The Point) hosts of The Young Turks discuss the school to prison pipeline, and the consequences on the young people who’s futures are now limited by they’re criminal record.

"For those unfamiliar with Baltimore City's particular brand of justice, it has been an up-close primer on how things are done in a city whose police force is now under a full-fledged Department of Justice investigation. Not just over the death of Freddie Gray in police custody which prompted protests across the city and a criminal investigation, but how the criminal justice responded to the strife and what it may have done in the past to precipitate this unrest.

Protesters have been held without charges for days. Innocent people arrested. And in an exclusive report by The Real News, two weeks before the violence erupted and thrust Baltimore onto the world stage, documents revealed juveniles were arrested for simply not getting on a bus. In short, Baltimore's aggressive policing and heavy emphasis on incarceration has been unrelenting, even as the world watched."

Read more here: http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?o...

Friday 24 April 2015

Overturn Torey Michael Adamcik's Conviction and Give him a new Trial.


With the news coming out of Washington D.C, that the US Supreme Court announced they will hear Toca v. Louisiana, which will make their decision of June 25, 2012, "Banning Sentences of Juveniles in Prison for Life Without Parole, as a violation of their Constitutional rights under the 8th Amendment. 20 US States have Retro-activated to when the Inmates committed the crime and Juveniles that were placed in Adult facilities for unfair sentences would be eligible for re-sentencing.
Although Idaho Judges have the Discretion in Sentencing a Juvenile of a crime such as Murder, and the Supreme Court in their June 25, 2012 decision did not ban completely Juvenile Life Without Parole, the fact that Mandatory Sentencing IS a violation of a youth offenders 8th Amendment Rights, should not stop the State of Idaho from doing away with Life Without Parole for Juveniles.
In their Decision, the Supreme Court said.  
(a) The Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment “guarantees individuals the right not to be subjected to excessive sanctions.”  Roper v. Simmons, 543 U. S. 551, 560.  That right “flows from the basic ‘precept of justice that punishment for crime should be graduated and proportioned’ ” to both the offender and the offense. Ibid.
Two strands of precedent reflecting the concern with proportionate punishment come together here.  The first has adopted categorical bans on sentencing practices based on mismatches between the culpability of a class of offenders and the severity of a penalty.  See, e.g., Kennedy v. Louisiana, 554 U. S. 407.  Several cases in this group have specially focused on juvenile offenders, because of their lesser culpability. Thus, Roper v. Simmons held that the Eighth Amendment bars capital punishment for children, and Graham v. Florida, 560 U. S. ___, concluded that the Amendment prohibits a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for a juvenile convicted of a nonhomicide offense.  Graham further likened life without parole for juveniles to the death penalty, thereby evoking a second line of cases.  In those decisions, this Court has required sentencing authorities to consider the characteristics of a defendant and the details of his offense before sentencing him to death.  See, e.g., Woodson v. North Carolina, 428 U. S. 280 (plurality opinion).  Here, the confluence of these two lines of precedent leads to the conclusion that mandatory life without parole for juveniles violates the Eighth Amendment.
(2)        The States next argue that courts and prosecutors sufficiently consider a juvenile defendant’s age, as well as his background and the circumstances of his crime, when deciding whether to try him as an adult.  But this argument ignores that many States use mandatory transfer systems.  In addition, some lodge the decision in the hands of the prosecutors, rather than courts.  And even where judges have transfer-stage discretion, it has limited utility, because the decision maker typically will have only partial information about the child or the circumstances of his offense.  Finally, because of the limited sentencing options in some juvenile courts, the transfer decision may present a choice between a light sentence as a juvenile and standard sentencing as an adult.  It cannot substitute for discretion at post trial sentencing.  Pp. 25−27.
Upon hours of research by members of the Juvenile Justice Advocates of the World, we have come to the conclusion that Torey Michael Adamcik did NOT receive a fair trial:
(1)  The trial Attorneys did not give Torey competent representation. When the Adamcik’s hired the firm, the night that they took Torey into the Police Station for the second interview, the Attorneys were “To busy to go with them, and instructed Sean and Shannon to refuse to allow Torey to answer questions until they could be present.
a.            However the Police bullied and harassed the Adamcik’s and told them that IF they could not Interview Torey that night, he would be taken into custody, giving the feeling that IF Torey talked and told them about the night in question, he would go home with them, as they believed that Torey was innocent.
b.           The Police did not tell them that Brian had already confessed and was locked up, and had led them to the evidence in Black Rock Canyon.
c.            Sean and Shannon on several Occasions that day told the detectives that they did not want to bring Torey in without Legal Counsel and had an appointment later that afternoon, and would then contact them when they had set up a time with the Attorney’s to be there with Torey.
d.           The Detectives refused to hear this and continued to threaten to lock Torey up, UNLESS he came into the Police Station to be interviewed.
e.            The Attorneys took the case but were too busy to accompany them to the Police Station, where again Shannon and Sean invoked Torey’s right to counsel.
f.            The Detectives finally convinced the Adamcik’s that this was JUST and interview as Torey was one of the last to have seen Cassie alive, and needed help with their investigation to apprehend the “person or persons” involved.
g.            The Adamciks finally gave in, The Detectives read Torey his Miranda Warning, and Torey signed the waiver. The Detectives then began to question Torey in Sean and Shannon’s presence. About an hour into the interview, Torey said, I would like to talk to my attorney, so the Detectives stopped the questioning, took Torey to another room and left him by himself. Shannon left to go pick up their younger son at his practice, and the Detectives talked to Sean, and told him that they KNEW Torey was lying to them and Sean needed to get him to tell the Truth. We have not been able to determine how long this was, BUT, we do know that Sean did not want to go back in until after Shannon got back, but the Detectives kept pushing. Finally Sean got them to go in and talk to Torey and then they all went back to the Interview room, where the Detectives did not question Torey, but rather told Sean things, and then Sean would turn to Torey and ask, “is this right”, or “Did you see anyone out there that could have done this”, along with a bunch of other questions. There is no record that they re-mirandized Torey, nor that Torey signed another waiver, that we have been able to find.
(2)  The Defense team did not subpoena the evidence for independent testing.
(3)  The Defense did not call expert witnesses to refute the Prosecution.
(4)  The Defense did not call Torey to explain in his own words the evidence against him.
(5)  The Defense let the Jury believe that they would hear from the Psychologist that evaluated Torey, but instead after just a couple of witnesses the Defense rested.
a.            If the Psychologist had been allowed to Testify, the Jury would have heard him say: "Adamcik is immature for his age, saying the average adolescent doesn't have a fully developed frontal brain lobe - the part of the brain determined to control compulsion - and that the teen was even further behind others of his age.”
“Adamcik is intellectually less mature than we would expect a 17-year-old to be.”
“Adamcik would be a very low risk to re-offend and called him a good candidate for rehabilitation, unless he were sent to prison.”
“All the psychological tests show no evidence that would suggest a pathological personality.”
“Adamcik needs mental health care for the suicidal thoughts he's currently harboring and education and time to develop his adult brain capacity. Prison would inhibit the ability to rehabilitate Adamcik" (Hancock 2007)
So we the undersigned Respectfully Demand that Torey Michael Adamcik have his current conviction overturned, and the case sent back to the Trial Court for a new trial and IF convicted, resentenced to a sentence with possible Parole.
Sincerely
Juvenile Justice Advocates of the World

Thursday 16 April 2015

How Many More Days ? Justice 4 Davontae Sanford 2015 Time For Change Bring Me Home Enough Is Enough ! 16 APR


Team pushes new trial for Detroiter convicted as teen


Detroit — The lengthy battle to free a man who was convicted of a quadruple homicide at age 14 continued Wednesday with a team of attorneys filing a motion in Wayne Circuit Court seeking a new trial.


Detroit hit man takes responsibility for killings in new push to free young man in 4 murders

Vincent Smothers confesses to murders; Davontae Sanford imprisoned for crimes


http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/detroit-hit-man-takes-responsibility-for-killings-in-new-push-to-free-young-man-in-4-murders/32382798?fb_action_ids=878207742220306&fb_action_types=og.shares

Lawyers, family say Sanford innocent


http://www.freep.com/videos/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/04/15/25840561/

Davontae Sanford -684070 Ionia Maxmium Correctionac. 1576 W. Bluewater highway Ionia,mi 48846  Lets spread the love on this hoilday and send a christmas card to Davontae Sanford U ARE GOING TO BE WITH YOUR FAMILY,THEY CANT”




Who is Davontae Sanford? He is Detroit's Forgotten Child. Innocence raped in the grips of overzealous cops and a prosecutor who doesn't give a damn about justice or innocence. She wants Detroit to forget Davontae!! To ignore her great evil misdeeds and sweep the case under the carpet. And your silence has made it all possible Detroit. Until it happens to your child - of course. BUT she suffered a MAJOR defeat at the Michigan Court of Appeals when that court granted Davontae relief on every issue he raised but one; namely whether Private Investigator Linda Boris can testify as to the details of the murders that Vincent Smothers confided in her --as he has to CNN; the Associated Press; his attorney and last but not least to Detroit Homicide investigators. Davontae cross-appealed that issue at the Supreme court. Smothers wants to confess on the record to clear Davontae for the four murders he did not commit. What does Smothers have to gain by confessing to a crime that he knows will get him a mandatory life sentence? Nothing! But Kym Worthy has a lot to lose if he does. Millions of dollars in civil liability and her integrity (which isn't much) for WRONGFULLY convicting that young boy! And Detroit? You are okay with this? Well we can't wait for sleepers to wake up from a dream. Fortunately one appeals court made up of all conservative judges by the way ruled in Davontaes favor. The prosecutor appealed that decision to the Michigan Supreme Court where we are now in a,wait and see hold for the high court. I am cautiously optimistic however that given the fact the three judge panel who ruled in Davontaes favor were all conservatives the state high court which is majority conservative will deny Worthy's appeal. And then the ugly court battle will begin. She will NOT be able to stop Smothers from confessing on the record and convince the trial judge to sustain Davontaes convictions. There are many lawyers on both sides. Smothers will flip her case upside down and she knows it. Hence her reason for fighting to stop him. Treacherous and devious she is.

Roberto Guzman

Davontae Sanford -684070 Ionia Maxmium Correctionac. 1576 W. Bluewater highway Ionia,mi 48846

  

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