"Convictions for Life Without Parole and Felony Murder Sentencing in California," a recent report created by the Special Circumstances Conviction Project in collaboration with the Felony Murder Elimination Project and the UCLA Center for the Study of Women|Streisand Center, seeks to understand how thousands of people in California have been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the hope that this analysis allows increased insight into the group of people serving this sentence.
Despite the magnitude of a sentence of Life Without Parole and its implications for California’s communities, no comprehensive compilation or analysis existed of the specific convictions leading to the imprisonment of those serving LWOP or how factors such as race, age, and gender affect sentencing outcomes. This study finally examines the cases in which individuals were sentenced and discovers that more than half of those sentenced to LWOP were convicted with no required finding by a DA that they intentionally perpetuated a death, and also details how factors such as race, age and gender play a disturbing role in sentencing outcomes.
Some significant findings from the report:
Ultimately, while the mainstream media, conservative politicians, and the public at large categorize individuals serving LWOP as the “worst,” this rhetoric does not survive a review of the data. Statistical evidence clearly demonstrates that the most common special circumstance used as a sentencing enhancement is the one that requires the lowest degree of culpability: felony murder.
Read and download the report titled "Convictions for Life Without Parole and Felony Murder Sentencing in California" from the Resources section of our website.
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