FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 23, 2026
Media Contact: Callie King-Guffey | [email protected] | 503-853-2409

New Report on A Decade After Montgomery v. Louisiana: Progress, Gaps, and the Promise of Meaningful Review for Children Serving Extreme Sentences

January 23, 2026 – The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth is proud to release “A Decade After Montgomery v. Louisiana: Progress, Gaps, and the Promise of Meaningful Review for Children Serving Extreme Sentences,” a new report examining the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2016 decision. The report assesses national progress in limiting extreme sentences for children, documents promising outcomes associated with sentencing review, and identifies the work that remains to fully implement Montgomery.

In Montgomery v. Louisiana, the Court reaffirmed its earlier ruling in Miller v. Alabama, which held that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for children are in violation of the Eighth Amendment. Montgomery clarified that Miller must be applied retroactively, requiring states to ensure individuals already serving juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) receive sentences that comply with the U.S. Constitution. In recognizing the mitigating qualities of youth and the growing body of adolescent brain science, the Court affirmed that children possess a unique capacity for growth, rehabilitation, and redemption.

“Montgomery gave hope to thousands of people who were told they would die behind bars for crimes they committed as children,” says Xavier McElrath-Bey, Executive Director of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. “Since 2016, nearly 1,300 children who were sentenced to life without parole have been released, and they are using their freedom to give back to their families and communities as youth mentors, violence interrupters, business owners, and dedicated advocates. Their stories demonstrate the promise of Montgomery: children can and do change, and communities are safer when accountability is paired with hope and meaningful opportunity.”

Ten years after Montgomery v. Louisiana, the nation has continued to make progress toward ending the most extreme punishment imposed on children. To date, twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have unequivocally abolished JLWOP sentences. Thousands of lives have been transformed as people once sentenced to die in prison have returned home, rebuilt their lives, and contributed meaningfully to their communities.

Yet this anniversary is not only a moment of reflection but also a reminder that the work remains unfinished. JLWOP and other extreme sentences still exist, perpetuating racial injustice and falling short of the constitutional principles the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a decade ago. CFSY calls on policymakers, advocates, and communities across the country to carry forward these principles. Doing so requires strengthening resentencing and parole systems so that opportunities for review are meaningful and accessible, ending reliance on extreme punishments, and investing in approaches that promote accountability, healing, and lasting community safety. Honoring the legacy of Montgomery demands more than compliance on paper; as a nation, we must commit to ensuring that no child is permanently condemned to a lifetime in prison and that every community has the opportunity to heal.

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For more information, or if you would like to arrange an interview, please contact Callie King-Guffey at [email protected] | 503-853-2409

The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth is a nonprofit that leads efforts to ban life-without-parole and other extreme sentences for children, and supports those incarcerated as children who are released after serving long sentences.