At just 17 years old, Louis Gibson was sentenced to life in prison. After spending decades inside the notorious Angola prison, Louis finally came home in 2018 thanks to the landmark Supreme Court case Montgomery v. Alabama.

Let's take care of ourselves and each other. Healing takes work, and many in our community have lingering trauma from the criminal legal system, from shorten childhoods to the heartache of losing a loved one. For more tips and resources, visit: https://cfsy.org/what-we-do/community-care/

Michael Williams was only 17 when he was given a death by incarceration sentence. After serving 32 years, he returned home committed to helping others as a recovery coach, restorative justice facilitator, and reentry navigator.

Inside Philanthropy profiled the MacArthur Foundation's 10-year Safety and Justice Challenge (SJC), interviewing Xavier, CFSY's Executive Director, about its community-led approach. Read here! https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/a-look-back-at-macarthurs-big-bet-to-reduce-jail-populations

At just 17 years old, Robert “Bobby” Pittman was sentenced to life plus 15 years. "They sentenced the child I was, not the man I would become," Bobby says. When he came home after 24 years, Bobby remained driven by a desire to prevent the next generation from entering the system.

“What mattered most to me wasn't whether the case would immediately get me out of prison,” writes Angel DeJesus, “What mattered was the broader shift taking place in how children were being understood to be different–and Miller was a pivotal part of that shift.”

At 15, Marshan Allen was sentenced to two counts of mandatory life without the possibility of parole. For him, Miller v. Alabama was more than a Supreme Court decision. It was recognition that children are capable of growth, change, and redemption.

P was given a life without parole sentence at only 17 years old. For nearly four decades, he has lived behind prison walls, separated from his son, who was only two months old when he was arrested, and navigating the challenges of a recent cancer diagnosis.

Today is the last day to support our fundraiser! If you haven’t had the chance to give, there’s still time. Your gift will help fuel our work ahead as we work to end extreme sentences for children and expand opportunities for healing and hope. fundraise.givesmart.com/form/-hY59w

"I will never forget June 25, 2012," writes Jose Burgos. Read his reflections on what Miller v. Alabama meant to him and thousands of other extreme-sentenced children here: cfsy.org/the-day-hope...

The Day Hope Returned: Remembering Miller v. Alabama - Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth | CFSY

cfsy.org

Survivors are not a monolith. New research from @thecfsy.bsky.social and Baker McKenzie highlights the diverse perspectives of people impacted by youth violence and challenges assumptions about what survivors want from the justice system. insight.bakermckenzie.com/cfsy-report-...

CFSY Survivor Report 2026

insight.bakermckenzie.com

14 years ago today, SCOTUS ruled in Miller v. Alabama that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for children are unconstitutional, challenging a system that threw away children without ever asking who they were, what they’d been through, or who they could still become.

“Decades of studies have found that in many cases, incarcerating juveniles is counterproductive,” writes Elizabeth Bruenig for @theatlantic.com. And “harsher penalties do little to deter crime or prevent recidivism among young people.” Read here: bit.ly/4uSWRnb

The One Area Where a 14-Year-Old Is an Adult

Lawmakers are finding catharsis in sending children to prison.

bit.ly

"As I reflect on this holiday, I cannot separate its history from my own life experience," writes John Pace, a member of the Incarcerated Children's Advocacy Network (ICAN) who was sentenced to life without parole as a child and served 31 years in prison. Read John's blog: cfsy.org/juneteeth-20...

I Was 17 When I Was Sentenced To Life Without Parole. After Serving 31 Years In Prison, This Is What Juneteenth Means To Me. - Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth | CFSY

cfsy.org

Are you our next leader of state-based campaigns? Apply by our priority deadline of July 10, 2026! cfsy.org/job/policy-c...

CFSY team members had the pleasure of joining Homeboy Industry's Inaugural Global Homeboy Network DC Summit! It was a joy to be in community with others whose work is guided by the lived experience of those closest to harm and who prioritize love and radical kinship above all.

The CFSY hosts yearly retreats to give our directly impacted community members space to heal, relax, and refill our cups together. Earlier this month, we gathered as formerly incarcerated children, survivors of youth violence, CFSY staff, and family members.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our spring fundraiser! Because of your generosity, we’re 80% of the way to our goal of raising $175,000 by June 30. Now, thanks to two generous donors, every gift—whether $2, $5, $25, or $2,500 —will be DOUBLED!

At 17, Azeem Majeed was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole. He spent 26 years in Virginia prisons. Today, he is a trusted reentry and recovery specialist working in his Virginia community to help others find hope, healing, and transformation.

At just 16 years old, Anthony “Pete” Petty was sentenced to 35 years to life. After serving 30 years behind bars, he came home in 2020 thanks to DC’s Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA) and is now a member of CFSY’s ICAN network.

CFSY’s Legal & Policy team traveled to New Orleans for the APAI 2026 Training Conference, where we connected with parole board members from across the country about parole review practices that recognize the unique needs and challenges of justice-involved children.

Together, we have transformed how this country's criminal legal system treats children, helped reunite families, changed the narrative around children who cause harm, and built a directly impacted-led movement.

Reverend Dr. Chris Kimmenez has "seen the system from multiple sides." He's participating in the Survivor’s Justice Initiative (SJI) to elevate transformative, restorative, and healing justice processes in response to serious youth harm. Learn more: www.cfsy.org/survivors

Being in community with Movita and other survivors of serious youth harm through our Survivors’ Justice Initiative (SJI) has been a powerful source of learning, healing, and connection. Will you join us? cfsy.org/survivors

ONE WEEK FROM TODAY! Don't miss this fireside chat with CFSY's Ghani Songster and Danielle Sered, two luminaries in the restorative justice field who are actively building responses to harm and violence that our survivors, young people, and communities deserve. www.eventbrite.com/e/doing-sorr...

Doing Sorry: Why Restorative Justice is Necessary for Serious Harm

This virtual chat between ‘Ghani’ Songster & Danielle Sered will explore responses to harm that go beyond “saying sorry" to "doing sorry."

eventbrite.com

We’re proud to be launching the Survivors’ Justice Initiative (SJI) with survivors of youth harm, such as Jeanne, who are dissatisfied with the current adversarial processes and seeking ways to connect, heal, and inform CFSY’s work. Learn more here: www.cfsy.org/survivors

When survivors of youth harm were asked why they were creating the Survivors’ Justice Initiative (SJI) with us, many pointed to the desire to break cycles of harm:

Introducing: Survivors' Justice Initiative (SJI). SJI is a space for survivors of youth harm who are dissatisfied with the current adversarial processes to connect, heal, and inform our work. www.youtube.com/watch?v=boUJ...

Introducing the Survivors' Justice Initiative

YouTube video by Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth

youtube.com

On this #WorldBookDay, CFSY is excited to launch the ICAN & NFN Virtual Library! 📚 cfsy.org/what-we-do/i...

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's recent decision to ban the practice of sentencing those convicted of felony murder to automatic life sentences has the potential to impact nearly 1,300 individuals.