Coalition Calls for Ban on Execution of Juvenile Offenders

6/5/2003

From: Sima Robbins of the Delaware Collaboration For Youth 302-731-7614 or simaleah@aol.com

DOVER, Del., June 5 -- A coalition of advocates for Delaware's youth and state lawmakers today called upon Delaware legislators to approve Senate Bill 70, the "Juvenile Protection Act," a bill that would ban the execution of juvenile offenders for crimes committed before their 18th birthday.

SB 70 was initiated by Delaware's Collaboration for Youth, a coalition of more than 20 organizations focused on positive ways to prevent Delaware's youth from entering the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

In his opening remarks, Joe Dell'Olio, co-chair of the Collaboration for Youth and executive vice president of Child, Inc. said, "According to all research findings, Delaware has not yet executed a juvenile offender, and we need to make sure we never do. It is time to put the law prohibiting the execution of children on the books."

According to Dell'Olio, in Delaware, a February 2003 poll reports that almost half of Delaware voters (47 percent) oppose juvenile executions, and 15 percent are undecided.

"A national Gallup poll taken a year ago shows that 69 percent of Americans oppose the execution of juvenile offenders," said Dell'Olio.

"The United States and Iran are the only two countries in the world that currently execute juveniles for crimes committed before their 18th birthday," said Janet Leban, co-chair of the Collaboration for Youth and executive director of the Delaware Center for Justice. "In fact, last year, the only execution of a juvenile offender occurred in our country, in the state of Oklahoma. The Collaboration initiated SB 70 to make sure that Delaware is never singled out as a state that executes juvenile offenders."

Upon passage, SB 70 will ensure that Delaware joins 28 states, the federal government, and the District of Columbia in banning juvenile executions.

Sen. Margaret Rose Henry (D), a key sponsor of the bill, reminded the audience that Delaware's juveniles are not permitted to sign contracts, serve in the military, marry without parental consent, or even vote before they turn 18.

"It is obvious that from a legal and social point of view, we know that juveniles are not adults," said Sen. Henry. "Yet we allow our youth, the most vulnerable members of our society, to be eligible for the death penalty. It is time to do away with this double standard."

Also speaking at the event were a foster mother and her foster youth, who both provided first-hand accounts to illustrate that adolescents who commit a serious crime can and should be given the opportunity to turn their lives around.

Bill Pelke, who flew in from Alaska to address the crowd, presented the victim's point of view. After describing the murder of his 78-year-old grandmother at the hands of four ninth grade girls, and his initial support of the death penalty for the offenders, he explained why he became a national advocate for the elimination of the juvenile death penalty.

"One of the offenders, who was fifteen, became the youngest female on death row. Getting to know her and to forgive her helped me heal and also helped overturn her sentence to 60 years in prison. She has since turned her life around. She's in her thirties now, and has chosen to devote herself to helping other murder victims' families," said Pelke.

According to Dr. Lisa Barkley, a specialist in adolescent medicine for Christiana Care Health System who spoke at the event, her experience supports the growing body of research from Harvard Medical School and elsewhere, which tells us that "the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and judgment does not fully develop until a person is between 18 and 22 years old. Our criminal justice system needs to support what current behavioral sciences demand."

In addition to Sen. Henry (D), key sponsors of the bill are F. Gary Simpson (R) in the Senate and Rep. Helene M. Keeley (D) in the House. Numerous legislators have signed on as co-sponsors, giving the bill broad bipartisan support.

Twenty-seven organizations endorse the bill to date, representing social service, educational, and faith-based organizations statewide.

SB 70 is currently being held in the Corrections Committee, which is chaired by Sen. James T. Vaughn.