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Senate bills would end juvenile life without parole in MI

Senate bills would end juvenile life without parole in MI

Prisoners sentenced to life with no chance for parole as juveniles would get a chance for release under bills introduced in the state Senate. The effort has bipartisan support.

Michigan still has one of the nation’s toughest juvenile sentencing laws. It lets judges leave no opportunity for release or parole. These bills would require judges to sentence juveniles to a set number of years and allow parole hearings.

Democratic state Senator Adam Hollier (OH’-lee-yay) sponsored one of the bills.

“It eliminates the potential to give someone life without the potential for parole – as a child.”

The state Department of Corrections says there are 22 people in prison sentenced as juveniles to life without the possibility of parole.