St. John’s County Florida State Representative Pushes for a Balance in Juvenile Criminal Punishment

St. John’s County Florida legislator, Mike Weinstien, is the Florida State representative for District 19. Weinstien drafted a bill and has presented it to the House “that would give juveniles a chance at parole 25 years into a life sentence. If denied, they can try again every seven years.” In 1983, Florida abolished its parole system. Therefore, one needs to be established or incorporated into the Florida Office of Executive Clemency.

Weinstien stated that “he is not seeking to extend parole options to adult inmates or juveniles convicted of homicide.” Creating an option of parole in Florida Juvenile cases come on the heals of the Jacksonville juvenile case of Graham v. Florida, holding that juveniles sentenced in non-homicide cases should not be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.