Sample Letters
President Barack Obama
President of United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
USA
Dear President Obama:
I am troubled that the United States continues to condemn people to life in prison without the possibility of parole, even if they were children at the time of the crime.
Christi Cheramie was only 16 when she was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Since then, she has received favorable reviews from several wardens and correctional officers. Warden Abrigale Patterson of Avoyelles Simmesport Correctional Center stated that “Christi is a model inmate… who is worthy of a second chance in society.” Christi’s guilty plea – made by a 16-year-old fearing that she would be sentenced to death if the trial went ahead – means she cannot directly appeal against her conviction or sentence. She faces the prospect of living in prison until she dies.
When children come into conflict with the law, they should be treated in a manner that reflects their level of maturity and their capacity for development. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that no one under 18 at the time of the crime should be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of release. As a signer of the treaty, the USA is bound under international law not to defeat its purpose.
I call on you to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child and eliminate the sentence of life without parole for any crime committed by a person under the age of 18. I thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
Sincerely,
copy to:
Ethan Ashley
Campaign Coordinator
Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana
1600 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70113
Fax: 1 504 522 5430
Email: eashley@jjpl.org
The Honorable Bobby Jindal
Governor of Louisiana
Post Office Box 94004
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9004
USA
Fax: 1 225 342 7099
Dear Governor Jindal:
I am troubled that the state of Louisiana continues to condemn people to life in prison without the possibility of parole, even if they were children at the time of the crime.
Christi Cheramie was only 16 when she was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Since then, she has received favorable reviews from several wardens and correctional officers. Warden Abrigale Patterson of Avoyelles Simmesport Correctional Center stated that “Christi is a model inmate… who is worthy of a second chance in society.” Christi’s guilty plea – made by a 16-year-old fearing that she would be sentenced to death if the trial went ahead – means she cannot directly appeal against her conviction or sentence. She faces the prospect of living in prison until she dies.
When children come into conflict with the law, they should be treated in a manner that reflects their level of maturity and their capacity for development. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that no one under 18 at the time of the crime should be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of release. As a signer of the treaty, the USA is bound under international law not to defeat its purpose.
I call on you to promote the enactment of state legislation that retroactively eliminates the sentence of life without parole in Louisiana for any crime committed by a person under the age of 18, and grant clemency to Christi Cheramie. I thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
Sincerely,
copy to:
Ethan Ashley
Campaign Coordinator
Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana
1600 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70113
Fax: 1 504 522 5430
Email: eashley@jjpl.org