Ending Juvenile Life without Parole (JLWOP) in Michigan

Michigan has the largest population of individuals serving life without parole since children in the U.S. – and the world.

In December, pending legislation passed the Michigan House Criminal Justice Committee. According to the Michigan Department of Corrections, the average annual cost of prison incarceration in a state facility is $48,000 per person (as of 2022). With nearly 400 individuals behind bars since adolescence, it is estimated that Michigan spends over $17 million a year on the population who would be eligible for consideration under current legislation that would eliminate juvenile life without parole sentences in Michigan.

Read more about SB 119-23/HB 4160-64  here.

Tell Your Michigan Representative to End Life Without Parole for Children

Voices of Support to end JLWOP:

Detroit Free Press

The Detroit News

Lorenzo Harrell

Lorenzo is a former juvenile lifer who served 26 years in Michigan. Today, he is a braille transcriber. “I love receiving letters of thanks from people who cannot see, teachers, and facilitators who help blind children learn braille. It’s been a way for me to feel like I’m contributing to society and making the world a better place.” In the nearly 4 years he has been home, Lorenzo has become a father, a homeowner, a voter, and a community activist. “This is what the abolishment of juvenile life without parole looks like,” he says.

Describing his experience of freedom after serving 26 years as a life-sentenced child to Michigan Public Radio, Lorenzo says “I went in at 17, I came out at 17, in regards to life experience.”He is working to give his daughter the circumstances he wasn’t afforded growing up.

Helping others leave prison and re-enter society as he did, Lorenzo works full-time at the State Appellate Defenders’ Office and handles many JLWOP cases. Whenever another “juvenile lifer” is released, he “feels all the awe and gratitude he did when he was in their position.”

Read Lorenzo in the news here and watch Lorenzo describe his journey here

Machelle Pearson

A child who had lost her mother at 10 years old, was abused, and then coerced into a criminal act, Machelle was then told she would die in prison.

During a 2023 Advocacy Day in Detroit, Machelle called on lawmakers to better support neglected children and equip children with the resources they need to correct their mistakes rather than lock them away and throw away the key. “We made bad choices, we weren’t born bad. We made bad choices and were thrown into bad situations. But you need to help children correct it.” Machelle was guided to correct her mistakes by the older women she was incarcerated with. They helped her understand her remorse.

After spending 34 and a half years incarcerated, Machelle now mentors teens from abusive and broken homes and is featured in an upcoming book about women surviving trauma. She’s dedicated to supporting women who were sentenced to life without parole to overcome the unique challenges women face. She works to give back to society by letting inner-city kids know they have a “big sister” in her and steering young people away from the path she led. She’s also working hard to steer Michigan away from sentencing children to die in prison.

Watch Machelle reflect on Life Beyond Life by @safeandjustmi.

Valencia Warren-Gibbs

Here, Valencia Warren-Gibbs hugs Bobby Hines in 2017, the year he was released from prison. Bobby was 15 years old when he was sentenced to life without parole for his role in Valencia’s brother’s death. When Bobby was sentenced, she says it didn’t make sense. “My brother didn’t reappear. It didn’t change the outcome. It didn’t change anything. But you’re killing this other person in place of my brother’s life.” Years later, Valencia Warren-Gibbs and her father wrote a victim impact statement in support of Bobby’s resentencing and upon Bobby’s release, Valencia and him became friends. Today, she advocates for the end of juvenile life without parole sentences, particularly in Michigan.

Listen to Valencia’s story on Michigan Public Radio

Jamil Allen-Bey

Sentenced to life without parole as a child, Jamil Allen-Bey now helps provide meals, supportive services, crisis response, and housing assistance to Detroit community members in need through the Pope Francis Center. There, he started as a volunteer and became Program Director. Now, he serves as House Father and Resident Program Manager at the Center’s new Bridge Housing Campus. 

After spending 32 years behind bars, Jamil re-entered society dedicated to ensuring every person is seen, valued, and treated with dignity. “I like my direct interaction with our guests,” Jamil says. “It allows me to share tools for transformation and self-sufficiency to help them build sustainable lives.”

His relationship with Father Tim McCabe, President and CEO of the Center, goes beyond work. “Jamil has been a blessing since the first day he walked through our doors,” Father Tim says. Jamil adds that the two of them have “a father and son bond. He believes in me and helps me grow.” 

One of the challenges Jamil faces is breaking down the stereotypes and misconceptions about people who, like him, were sentenced to life without parole as children. “We were products of American society,” Jamil explains. “But as children, we should never be seen as the worst of the worst. We have the greatest potential for evolution, growth, and development.”

Outside of his work, Jamil finds joy in reading, mentoring, walking in parks, and spending time with his close friends and family. His guiding principle, “Your Word is Your Bond,” reflects his commitment to integrity, while his approach to life—doing everything “in the most excellent way”—speaks to his dedication and loyalty to those he serves.

More from Jamil here by Safe & Just Michigan.

New Report

Unusual & Unequal: The Unfinished Business of Ending Life Without Parole for Children in the United States.

Factsheet

Access here.

Legislation information

Access here.

Unusual & Unequal: The Unfinished Business of Ending Life Without Parole for Children in the United States, a new report revealing alarming statistics about the continued imposition of juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) in the United States.