Letters: How long should they be in jail?

Re “Growing up in prison,” Opinion, Jan. 13

Although I think that Edel Gonzalez should no longer be considered a threat to public safety, that sentiment is based on his not being the triggerman in the crime he was convicted of two decades ago.

But author Elizabeth Calvin’s assertion that “a child is not a monster” reveals a mind-set that makes one question what her definition of a child is. Is a person at 17 years and 364 days a child in her eyes — and only becomes an adult the following day?

The larger question this piece raises is, what reprehensible acts of man’s inhumanity to man qualify one to be designated a “monster”?

On this question I strongly support the opinion of the victims of violent crime, who have far more credibility in these matters than criminal advocacy groups.

Mark Aaron
Santa Monica

Wow. What an amazing article. I am so glad to know that California is beginning to see the light.

As a therapist inside a juvenile hall in L.A. County, I have seen firsthand what gangs do to children as young as 12 years old. I’ve had dozens upon dozens of kids tell me they wish they could do better, be different, but the threat of their environment is too much for them to face alone, as they often do.

I’ve heard kids say: “I come here for a break.... I don’t have to watch my back.”

It is a shame we can’t do better as a society at protecting these kids, but at minimum we are, as a state, acknowledging that children are not adults. And people are not the same from 6 to 16 or 26, or even 36.

Janet Campos
Los Angeles

The writer is glad that Gonzalez, sentenced to life at 16, now has hope.

My father, who watched my mother being shot in the head during a random robbery-gone-bad attack in Idyllwild by a 17-year-old, has lived without hope for nearly 20 years.

My sister and I celebrated our weddings without our mom; my niece and my children are growing up without a grandmother. There is no second chance, no review, no parole.

As a faculty member at an urban state university, I believe in the power of education. I believe that people change. I also believe that some people do not deserve a second chance, no matter whether they were three, six or 18 months away from their 18th birthdays.

Gonzalez is sorry for what he did. I believe that too. But what about the family members of his victim? What do they hope for?

Birte Pfleger
Long Beach

California’s law regarding reconsideration of life-without-possibility-of-parole sentences given to children is a giant step forward. The key words are: “California law allowed this judge to reconsider a life-without-parole sentence in light of the man Gonzalez had become.”

I have been given the privilege of getting to know “lifers” whose backgrounds are virtually identical to that of Gonzalez’s. These men and women have spent many years gaining insight into their crimes and have actively sought to learn who they are; they have become exceptional members of society.

I would venture to guess that Gonzalez has learned at least one trade, has sought counseling and has participated in prison self-help programs like AA.

In the case of lifers sentenced as children, the chance to earn reconsideration is their first chance.

Joanne Polvy Cohen
Sherman Oaks

Gonzalez and friends were on their way to kill rival gang members. They needed a car. Gonzalez stood in front of their victim’s car so she would stop. She was shot in the head for refusing to hand over her old car.

Oh yeah. The victim. No one here to speak for her.

She stood up to these knuckleheads. She stood up to these men. Her name was Janet L. Bicknell.

Alex Fernandez
Lakewood

The sentence of life without parole was created for criminal offenders deemed to have no possibility of reform. Children are not in that category.

As a teacher, public defender and policy attorney, I have worked with children in the juvenile justice system for almost 20 years. I have witnessed that although the crimes they commit cause undeniable suffering, juvenile offenders are capable of growth and rehabilitation beyond measure.

The opportunity for parole is not a “get out of jail free” card. By allowing a review on whether a child has been rehabilitated decades later, California law is finally catching up with the evolving standards of decency and principles of proportionality that the Supreme Court, international law and neuroscience have all recognized with respect to children. It’s about time.

Carol Chodroff
Los Angeles
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