LANSING, Mich. — A set of bills in the Michigan House of Representatives propose to eliminate life sentences without the possibility of parole for those under 19 years old, convicted of murder and other violent crimes.
Supporters of House Bills 4160 through 4164 are in favor of second chances for eligible offenders, while those in opposition worry about community safety.
The legislation calls for a minimum sentence of ten years and maximum sentence of 60 years.
Two local prosecutors, Chris Becker of Kent County and Jeff Getting of Kalamazoo County, do not support these bills.
"That's the biggest issue we have. People are elected to do their jobs and have discretion. This case takes away all discretion and takes away any input of, quite frankly, of a victim who can be a family of a victim who completely traumatized by horrendous crime," Becker says. "It's mind boggling."
"What I am in favor of is juveniles getting second chances, I am in favor of using the sentence of life without parole only in the most extreme circumstance. But we have to have that opportunity, we have to have the possibility of sentencing a person to life without the possibility of parole when they commit the most egregious of crimes," Getting says. "This was a slap in the face to victims. It's a slap in the face to the safety of our communities."
The bills also seek to consider someone eligible for parole after serving 10 years, when the court can consider the offender's age, maturity, home environment and circumstances around the crime.
State Representative Graham Filler worries that offenders like the Oxford school shooter could be released early from prison. The 15-year-old opened fire at the high school, killing four and injuring seven others.
"In 10 years, the parole board could review and say he's too young and immature, and then let him out," he says.
State Rep. Filler adds these bills are unnecessary after the state supreme court ruled that automatic life without parole sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional, along with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling more than 10 years ago.
"The U.S. Supreme Court has decided that juvenile life, if you are convicted of juvenile life and needs to be re-sentenced, with different factors to consider, and these bills go much, much further than that," he says.
"It was important for me to get a second chance to, to show people that I wasn't the worst thing that I ever did in life," Ronnie Waters, a community engagement specialist at Safe & Just Michigan, says.
He is a former juvenile lifer, and he got his second chance after being released in 2020. He worked both inside and outside of prison for criminal justice rights and reform.
Waters believes that if someone has truly changed, and they can prove that to the court and a parole board, another opportunity for them should be considered.
"No one is asking for a 'Get Out of Jail Free Card' for the people who have committed really, really bad offenses," Waters says. "We're are saying that being because they were so young, let's see if they are still that person or have they matured into somebody, a responsible adult who we can take a chance on doing the right thing."
State Rep. Filler says these bills could make their way to the House floor by next week.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.