25 states and the District of Columbia have abolished sentencing children and youth under 18 to lifetimes in prison. Not so in Wisconsin, where you have a lifetime sentence for a crime you committed in your youth.
A bill introduced to the state legislature this week seeks to change that. Specifically, it would require the possibility of parole or extended supervision for youth offenders. It would also require a court to use some mitigating factors when sentencing people under 18.
Representative David Bowen, a Democrat from Milwaukee, is a lead author on the bill. He joins us live on the Eight O’Clock Buzz to talk about its possibility of passing through the legislature.
Read a FAQ about the bill here.