5 yea r s ago , I s t a r t ed advoca t i ng f o r my l oved one who has been i nca r ce r a t ed as ch i l d . I am f r om Eag l e R i ve r , WI and wo r ks as a nu r se f o r Ma r sh f i e l d C l i n i cs . App r oach i ng c r imi na l j us t i ce i s sues was no t pa r t o f my co l l ege educa t i on . I s t a r t ed t o j o i n o t he r advocacy g r oups such as WI SDOM and EXPO t o l ea r n how t o o r gan i ze because I needed a l l t he he l p I cou l d ge t ! I t eamed up wi t h two o t he r women t ha t s t a r t ed WayJ and a yea r l a t e r became t he Lead Or gan i ze r f o r Wi scons i n A l l i ance f o r You t h Jus t i ce . We a r e f ami l i es and f r i ends o r gan i z i ng t o he l p i n t r oduce and pas s a b i l l t o ban j uven i l e l i f e wi t hou t pa r o l e i n Wi scons i n and c r ea t e a mean i ng f u l oppo r t un i t y o f r e l ease . I be l i eve t ha t a l l ch i l d r en dese r ve a mean i ng f u l r e l ease . The Un i t ed S t a t es t r ea t s ch i l d r en , pa r t i cu l a r l y you t h o f co l o r , who come i n t o con f l i c t wi t h t he l aw i n i n t ense l y c r ue l and i nhuman ways , d i s r ega r d i ng t he i r human r i gh t s and d i f f e r ences f r om adu l t s . Th i s i s ev i denced mos t s t a r k l y by t he f ac t t ha t t he Un i t ed S t a t es i s t he on l y coun t r y t ha t sen t ences ch i l d r en t o d i e i n p r i son by impos i ng l i f e - wi t hou t - pa r o l e sen t ences on i nd i v i dua l s unde r age 1 8 . I be l i eve i n f a r e sen t enc i ng f o r you t h t ha t r e f l ec t s ou r human r i gh t s , va l ues , and mo r a l be l i e f s , and t he f undamen t a l d i f f e r ence be tween you t h and adu l t s . 5 yea r s ago I s t a r t ed advoca t i ng f o r my l oved one , now t oday ou r g r oup suppo r t ove r 400 i nd i v i dua l s i nca r ce r a t ed . I have a lways be l i eved t ha t when you have a vo i ce , you have an ob l i ga t i on t o use t ha t vo i ce t o empowe r o t he r s .
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