Many ARC members felt the hopelessness and despair of being sentenced to life in prison as youth.

ARC and partners in the Capitol as part of a Gratitude Tour (photo: Mara Tasker)

Dear John xxxxxx,

Earlier this month, ARC members and staff, alongside many partners, convened at the State Capitol in Sacramento to participate in a Gratitude Tour.

The day began with an Assembly Public Safety Committee hearing. ARC members and staff attended the hearing to oppose Assembly Bill 665 ([link removed]) , which would roll back Senate Bill 394 ([link removed]) and strip from individuals sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for offenses committed under 18 the opportunity to petition for re-sentencing, and ultimately a parole-eligible sentence.

Dozens of people who had been given sentences of life without the possibility of parole when they were under the age of 18 attended the hearing. They sat silently and respectfully as survivors of violent crime shared their pain from the loss of a loved one. Truly listening to survivors means acknowledging the immeasurable, irreparable damage caused when a life is taken. It is also being aware that so many members of our community are survivors of crime.

After listening, directly impacted people went up one by one to say they opposed the bill. Many ARC members recalled the hopelessness and despair of being sentenced as youth to live the rest of their lives in prison. Many are now free and serving their communities after serving decades in prison. Their testimony and presence served to remind the members of the legislature that change and redemption are possible. AB 665 did not pass out of the Public Safety Committee.

ARC member Jerome Holland and ARC Policy Coordinator Miguel Garcia on a legislative visit (photo: Mara Tasker)

After the hearing, ARC and partner organizations (led by Elizabeth Calvin of Human Rights Watch) divided into small teams to meet with Senators and Assemblymembers to thank them for their work to make our justice system fairer, more equitable, and more humane. The below image (click to make larger ([link removed]) ) shows what the last decade of reforms has looked like in California.

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A timeline of criminal justice reforms, especially as it relates to extreme sentencing.

Over the past decade of reforms, policy change has been made possible in significant part by the leadership of formerly incarcerated people, from drafting legislation, conducting critical research, organizing community members, and testifying before numerous committees. We at ARC feel empowered and honored to be able to offer expertise and wisdom in service of helping free Californians from prison and rebuilding their lives in their communities.

But the successes of the past decade must be defended. That’s, in part, why we went on our Gratitude Tour this month. We wanted to tell legislators we are grateful for their leadership and courage— and to stand with them in the face of those who believe that people are incapable of positive transformation and can therefore be discarded. We wanted to let them know that members of our community—who were told they would die in prison—are living productive, healthy lives with their families and making their communities safer and stronger.

We are grateful to be a part of a movement that is bringing people home to their loved ones. We are grateful to you, as well, for being with us as we work to change hearts and minds and enact changes that benefit our entire society.

Sincerely,

Sam Lewis
Executive Director

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