When is the first time someone can ask for parole with a sentence of 25 years to life?
Only after serving 25 years in prison can an inmate ask for parole. There are no exceptions, nor is there “time off for good behavior.” Q: Isn’t this a sentence we should use for the worst of crimes and the worst of criminals? Yes— but that is not how it is being used with young people. Nationally, 59 percent of juveniles sentenced to LWOP are first-time offenders—without even a single crime on a juvenile court record. While their crimes are violent and cause undeniable suffering, these young offenders are not the worst of the worst. In California, Human Rights Watch estimates that 45 percent of youth offenders serving LWOP were convicted for involvement in a murder but not as the person who committed the murder. The teen may have participated in a felony during which another participant committed murder, without the knowledge or intent of the teen. In addition, youth in these cases are often acting under the influence of an adult. In nearly 70 percent of cases reported to Human Rights
