MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The False Hope: How Parole Systems Fail Youth Serving Extreme Sentences report found that in 2015, in Florida, only 2 of the 366 individuals serving a parole-eligible life sentence for an offense committed when they were under 18 years of age were granted parole.
"Thanks to the Supreme Court, more and more prisoners who committed serious crimes when they were young but have since grown, atoned, and changed are eligible for parole. But now these prisoners face a parole system that is stacked against them," Sarah Mehta, human rights researcher at the ACLU, said.
In addition, the report stated that most parole hearings do not have the process protections of a trial, with prisoners lacking legal assistance and unaware of criteria used to determine who is released. According to the report, in some states, prisoners are not granted a hearing with the parole board.
The report recommended the abolition of juvenile life without parole, greater transparency, and greater resources for parole processes.
