A bill that could offer Colorado’s 48 juveniles sentenced to life in prison a new chance at freedom is on its way to the Senate floor after being heavily amended in committee Wednesday.
During a packed four-hour hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, lawmakers heard emotional and heated testimony from nearly 40 people. Families of victims and families of inmates described their grief and frustration before members passed Senate Bill 181 out of committee on a 3-2 vote.
Life in prison without the possibility of parole under the bill.
The frustration felt by victims’ families was palpable in the busy committee room. Many of them have been called to the Capitol year-after-year to testify against similar bills.
“I want to move on with my life,” said John Leonardelli, whose father was murdered in 1994. “It’s wrong. It’s dead wrong.”
But family members and supporters of the 48 inmates also described a sense of loss. Many of the inmates have excelled in prison, expressed regret and have grown into adults, they said.
Sharletta Evans has inmates, including the man convicted of shooting and killing her 3-year-old son in 1995.
“I’ve had a glimpse of the best,” Evans said.
Between 1990 and 2006, roughly 50 juveniles were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Colorado, which eliminated life sentences for juveniles in 2006, now requires that juveniles become eligible for parole after serving 40 years.
Following a January decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, those 48 sentences — and others across the country — now .
Eighteen of Colorado’s 48 inmates have served 20 years or more.
The bill originally sought to give judges two sentencing options when reviewing the cases. The inmate would either be sentenced to 40 years to life with the possibility of parole or 24 to 48 years in prison with the possibility of parole.
On Wednesday, lawmakers passed an amendment eliminating the 24- to 48-year option. Now, only inmates who were convicted of felony murder or who were complicit in the murder may qualify for a sentence of 30 to 50 years.
The charge of felony murder allows someone who was connected to the crime but did not actually participate in the killing to be charged with murder.
But 4th Judicial District Attorney Dan May said the amendments were an example of how the measure’s supporters do not understand the law and the bill’s far-reaching implications.
“This is unconscionable,” May said. “This is outrageous, and the way it is being handled is disgusting.”
May echoed concerns of other district attorneys, who testified that a measure in the bill to remove the requirement that juveniles serve all 40 years before becoming eligible for parole could reduce the sentences of offenders who are not part of the 48.
The bill was also amended to require that judges consider the impact of the crime on the victims. Judges must also consider the inmate’s age at the time of the crime, their developmental maturity and capacity for rehabilitation.
