ACLU Summer Advocacy Institute fund

This January, I had the privilege to begin interning at Human Rights Watch in the Children’s Rights Division, with a focus on legislation to repeal Juvenile Life Without Parole in California. Each day I come in to work, I am met with countless letters written to our offices by inmates who were sentenced to life without parole as children. As an intern, my job is to read each of these letters, and take account of the experiences and narratives that each prisoner recounts in their writings. As I began to read these letters, I found that each one had a great impact on me, some even bringing me to tears as I scanned the stories on the page, reliving the shockingly hideous experiences of each detainee as described through their eyes. Although this myriad of letters comes from people of all racial profiles, genders, and backgrounds, I find that there is one thing they all have in common: a deep regret for a terrible mistake made due to lack of wisdom and age.

In the United States, approximately 2,570 children are currently sentenced to Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP). Despite global concurrence on this issue, the United States remains the only nation in the world that continues to allow the life sentencing of juvenile criminals. The disregard for age as well as  the detrimental nature of sentencing youth to Juvenile Life Without Parole, classifies it as one of the most critical and overlooked civil liberties issues facing our country today. It is imperative that as a society, we take a step back, and re-examine what it says about our nation that we allow our most vulnerable, and impressionable citizens to be sentenced to such a permanent and damaging fate. To maintain the legal status of JLWOP in the United States means that we do not allow for mistakes, that even if as a minor you take a wrong turn as a result of corrupt influence or ignorance, you are outcast from society regardless of age, development, or experience. This is simply unacceptable. The human brain does not fully develop until the age of 25, and even then most individuals have not had the extensive life experiences necessary to prevent them from making the wrong decision, or even to resist negative outside influences. It is necessary to keep this in mind when sentencing youth, as it is unjust to hold juveniles to the same accountability as fully developed adults. Moreover, the effects of being incarcerated for life as a child, such as depleted self worth, lack of opportunity to develop socially and intellectually, and little or no moral guidance, are irreversible.

It is issues such as these that compel me to act on behalf of those who are not able to stand up for themselves. I believe our society should be fair and just. I also believe it is my responsibility to take action in order to ensure these values are upheld in the United States.

The ACLU Summer Intensive is an important step for me in that direction. The opportunity to learn directly from  lawyers, lobbyists, community activists from various DC institutions on how to successfully defend and advance civil liberties, as well as being able to work with and learn from  a team of like-minded students on various projects is exactly the kind of experience I am looking for. Through this exceptional program, I anticipate building a deeper appreciation and understanding of the vital role social justice activism plays in the United States.


I have been fortunate enough to have been accepted to this fantastic program, and being able to go would be an amazing opportunity. Please help me attend the ACLU Summer Advocacy Institute this coming summer! Every little bit helps,  and is appreciated. 
Thank you so much!