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Memphis organizations push for life sentencing reforms

Several Memphis-based organizations met with Tennessee lawmakers Wednesday to push for reducing the amount of time people serve life sentences

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Several Memphis-based organizations met with Tennessee lawmakers Wednesday in support of a proposed bill to reduce the time inmates serve life sentences. 

Local faith leaders representing the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis and multiple congregations gathered with victims rights advocates, criminal justice reform advocates and family members of prisoners to speak out in support of life sentence reform before the state's general assembly at St. Andrew AME church.

Currently in Tennessee, inmates must serve 51 years of a life sentence before the possibility of parole. This new legislation, which passed in the state senate last spring, would reduce that time to 25 years, a length of time advocates argue is more in line with national standards.

The common theme voiced by supporters is that people convicted of first degree murder can and should be held accountable, but in many cases, accountability should also allow for the possibility of a second chance.

"As the mother of a gun violence victim it may seem strange that I am in favor of reverting the [sentence] from 50 years back to 25 years," said Rafiah McCormick, whose son was murdered in 2020. "This is because, in my opinion, the loss of life does not just impact the family but the whole community. You can never restore a life, but you can restore a community. The sentence of life with the possibility of parole implies that the perpetrator is redeemable.”

According to Department of Correction data, in 2021 there were 1,304 people serving 51-year life sentences in Tennessee – 104 women and 1200 men. Out of these individuals, 118 of the people serving 51-year life sentences were juveniles at the time of their offense, and more than half of the people serving 51-year life sentences were 25 or younger at the time of their offense, a category designated youthful offenders by the Department of Correction. 

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