(2) In fact, while writing for the majority in 
Roper v. Simmons (125 S. Ct. 1183), a recent Su-
preme Court decision abolishing use of the death 
penalty for juveniles, Justice Kennedy declared such 
differences to be ‘‘marked and well understood.’’ 
(3) Notwithstanding such edicts, many youth 
are being sentenced in a manner that has typically 
been reserved for adults. These sentences include a 
term of imprisonment of life without the possibility 
of parole. 
(4) The decision to sentence youthful offenders 
to life without parole is an issue of growing national 
concern. 
(5) While only about a dozen youth are serving 
such sentences in the rest of the world, research in-
dicates that there are at least 2,225 youth offenders 
serving life without parole in the United States. 
(6) The estimated rate at which the sentence is 
imposed on children nationwide remains at least 
three times higher today than it was fifteen years 
ago. 
(7) The majority of youth sentenced to life 
without parole are first-time offenders. 
(8) Sixteen percent of these individuals were fif-
teen or younger when they committed their crimes. 
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(9) Denying such individuals the possibility of 
a meaningful opportunity for parole is both cruel 
and unwise. It sends a message to our youth that 
they are beyond rehabilitation. It also demonstrates 
a complete lack of confidence in the ability of our 
penal institutions to accomplish one of their main 
goals and responsibilities. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHING A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR 
PAROLE FOR CHILD OFFENDERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For each fiscal year after the ex-
piration of the period specified in subsection (d)(1), each 
State shall have in effect laws and policies under which 
each child offender who is under a life sentence receives, 
not less than once during the first 15 years of incarcer-
ation, and not less than once every 3 years of incarceration 
thereafter, a meaningful opportunity for parole. Not later 
than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Attorney General shall issue guidelines and regulations 
to interpret and implement this section. This provision 
shall in no way be construed to limit the access of child 
offenders to other programs and appeals which they were 
rightly due prior to the passage of this Act. 
(b) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘child of-
fender who is under a life sentence’’ means an individual 
who— 
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(1) is convicted of an offense committed before 
the individual attained the age of 18; and 
(2) is sentenced to a term of natural life, or the 
functional equivalent in years, for that offense. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—This section applies to an indi-
vidual who is sentenced on or after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act as well as to an individual who had al-
ready been sentenced as of the date of the enactment of 
this Act. 
(d) COMPLIANCE AND CONSEQUENCES.— 
(1) COMPLIANCE DATE.—Each State shall have 
not more than 3 years from the date of enactment 
of this Act to be in compliance with this section, ex-
cept that the Attorney General may grant a 2-year 
extension to a State that is making a good faith ef-
fort to comply with this section. 
(2) CONSEQUENCE OF NONCOMPLIANCE.—For 
any fiscal year after the expiration of the period 
specified in paragraph (1), a State that fails to be 
in compliance with this section shall not receive 10 
percent of the funds that would otherwise be allo-
cated for that fiscal year to that State under sub-
part 1 of part E of title I of the Omnibus Crime 
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
3750 et seq.), whether characterized as the Edward 
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Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement 
Assistance Programs, the Local Government Law 
Enforcement Block Grants program, the Edward 
Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, 
or otherwise. 
(3) REALLOCATION.—Amounts not allocated 
under a program referred to in paragraph (2) to a 
State for failure to be in compliance with this sec-
tion shall be reallocated under that program to 
States that have not failed to be in compliance with 
this section. 
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHING A PARALLEL SYSTEM FOR CHILD 
OFFENDERS SERVING LIFE SENTENCES AT 
THE FEDERAL LEVEL. 
In addition to any other method of early release that 
may apply, the Attorney General shall establish and imple-
ment a system of early release for each child offender who 
is under a life sentence (as defined in section 3) in a Fed-
eral facility. The system shall conform as nearly as prac-
ticable to the laws and policies required of a State under 
section 3. 
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SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE LEGAL REPRESEN-
TATION OF CHILDREN FACING LIFE IN PRIS-
ON. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall award 
grants to States for the purpose of improving the quality 
of legal representation provided to child defendants 
charged with an offense which could potentially subject 
them to the sentence of life in prison. 
(b) DEFINED TERM.—In this section, the term ‘‘legal 
representation’’ means legal counsel and investigative, ex-
pert, and other services necessary for competent represen-
tation. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded under sub-
section (a) shall be used to establish, implement, or im-
prove a system for providing competent legal representa-
tion to— 
(1) individuals charged with committing, before 
the individual attained the age of 18, an offense sub-
ject to life imprisonment; and 
(2) individuals convicted of, and sentenced to 
life for, committing such an offense who seek appel-
late or collateral relief, including review in the Su-
preme Court of the United States. 
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(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
such sums as may be necessary. 
Æ 
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