Resources for Parole Boards

Setting parole boards up for success when reviewing individuals sentenced as children

Since 2009, the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY) has worked to end life without parole for children. With bans of juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) now passed in 28 states, more individuals who were once condemned as children to life without parole are now parole-eligible.

Such shifts have posed the opportunity for parole boards to adopt procedures that take into account the unique attributes, challenges, and needs of justice-involved children who have essentially grown up in prison.

As annual exhibitors at the Association of Paroling Authorities International (APAI), CFSY has enjoyed meaningful partnerships with parole boards across the country to seize this opportunity. We’ve engaged parole board members in Arkansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and more.

On this page, please access a number of our materials regarding parole board engagement and reach out to Eric Alexander to request a training at: [email protected].

  • Eric Alexander, CFSY, at the the Association of Paroling Authorities International (APAI)

  • CFSY’s 2023 event with the Virginia Parole Board

White paper

Factsheet

Toolkit

Request a Training

CFSY conducts trainings for parole boards across the country. Email us for more information or to request a training here!

Hundreds of Success Stories

In addition to our legal and policy expertise, the CFSY has learned invaluable lessons from our Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network (ICAN), a group of hundreds of former life-sentenced or otherwise extreme-sentenced children, many of whom have been granted parole. Thanks to parole boards who have recognized the unique capacity of individuals who committed crimes as children to change, our ICAN members are contributing to the healing and well-being of their communities:

Ashlee is a restorative justice facilitator for young people.