Youngest prisoner in the world michael
“I was raised in poverty like many kids in my circumstances. My mom was an alcoholic and my father was an abusive drug addict. But my dad went away, and eventually me and my siblings were taken away by CPS (Child Protective Services) and placed in care.
My grandmother took us in before they separated us into different homes. My mom wanted to take us all back, but my grandma only let her take my little brother and me. We went with my mother to live in absolute poverty in a ghetto, a gang, and a drug-infested neighborhood. We lived in a trailer with no windows, just clear bags to make it look like windows. The roof and floor were caving in, and the doors had no handles because they’d get kicked in by the cops anyway.
My mother would leave me and my little brother by ourselves for weeks at a time. Our main source of food was going to school to get free breakfast and lunch. On the weekends I’d take my brother to the park where they gave meals to the homeless every Sunday. Eventually, I had to start stealing to take care of us, to get clothes and food.
My mom started staying home more often when I was about 10 years old. She didn't like that I was stealing to put food on
Michael Mendoza
At 15 years old, Michael Mendoza sat in the backseat of a car while the front-seat passenger shot and killed someone in a gang-related murder. Mendoza was prosecuted in criminal court as if he was an adult, convicted of second degree murder, and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
He first went before the parole board in 2010, where he provided evidence of his personal growth in prison and his readiness to return home. He was denied. In 2014, he received his second chance as a result of California’s Senate Bill 260, which created a separate, age-appropriate parole review process for youth sentenced to life imprisonment. Successfully appearing before this board allowed for his release in 2014.
A condition of Mendoza’s parole is a lifetime of supervision by California’s Division of Adult Parole, an agency within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Such supervision often imposes requirements that make a successful transition to life in the community difficult. For instance, Mendoza was initially required by his parole conditions to stay within a 50-mile radius of his residence, which left him unable to visit family
Sentenced to life in prison at age 13, 'Little B' walks out of a Macon prison 26 years later
It was a murder that shocked the nation.
The child, Michael Lewis, stood less than five feet tall when he pointed a gun into a parked car at an Atlanta convenience store and pulled the trigger.
He left dead 23-year-old Darnell Woods, fatally shot as Woods' two young sons sat in the back seat.
Described by sociologists as a "super predator" and by prosecutors as a "cold blooded thug," at age 14, Lewis was sentenced to life in prison.
He was one of the first children charged under a 1994 Georgia law that required juveniles, accused of certain violent crimes, to be tried as adults.
Two weeks ago, he walked out of the Macon Transitional Facility on parole.
"It's a surreal experience," he said. "It really hasn't all settled in on me because I've been trying to get everything together. But it's a lot better than what I've been experiencing for the last 26-and-a-half years."
As he has since he was charged, Lewis maintains his innocence.
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles turned Lewis’ prior parole requests down several times before granting his re
Second Chance Story: Michael Vincent Talks Life After Growing Up Behind Bars
What were you doing when at 16 years old? Getting a driver’s license? Going to school and hanging out with friends? Or planning annual family trips to countries around the world? For Michael Vincent, however, his sixteen means going to prison with the possibility that he will never be able to live a life outside the walls.
Growing up, Michael’s parents were not around. His father was largely absent while his mother, who gave birth to him when she was only 14 years old, struggled with her own addiction. Growing up on the street, Michael spent his most of time hanging out with other kids in the neighborhood. When Michael was only 15 years old, a rash crime landed him a sentence of life without parole at the Missouri State Penitentiary. “It was scary,” Michael said when asked to describe what the experience was like. Being around more than 2000 men in prison, Michael was told that he must fight in order to survive. “It was bad. It was real bad,” Michael said.
“I had to take one day at a time and keep my eyes open because any moment, anything could happen.” Michael soon realized that this stark re