A member of the Lansing TIME Committee presented about Efrén's case yesterday evening, November 12, 2008, at a meeting on the campus of Michigan State University (MSU) about the imposition of life without parole (LWOP) sentences on juveniles. The meeting was convened by the ACLU of MSU.An expert panel consisting of Shelli Weisberg, Legislative Director for the ACLU of Michigan, and Francisco Villarruel, MSU Professor and Senior Research Associate with the Institute for Children, Youth, and Families, presented about various issues related to juveniles sentenced to LWOP and juvenile incarceration. Both members of the panel were already familiar with Efrén's case.
Members of the ACLU of MSU and other local activists were also in attendance. Our representative distributed information about Efrén's case and gathered letters and postcards supporting his release. One of the events lead organizers expressed an interest in wanting to assist us generate support for Efrén's public hearing. We will work closely with him and appreciate his generous offer.
Our presentation garnered additional support for Efrén's release, and the meeting was productive for the campaign to abolish the imposition of LWOP sentences on juveniles as well. It is always a positive thing when we receive the opportunity to educate the community about both of these very important issues.
A special thanks to the ACLU of MSU for inviting us to present about Efrén and helping us increase visibility about the injustice surrounding his wrongful conviction.
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