Bill To Change Juvenile Sentencing In Colorado Shelved

DENVER (AP) - A proposal to change lifelong prison sentences for juveniles in Colorado has been shelved at the request of the bill sponsor.

The bill would've opened the possibility of parole for those serving life sentences for crimes committed when they were underage. And the proposal would've set new sentencing guidelines for juveniles convicted of homicides. They would face 24 to 48 years in prison with mandatory parole after serving 75 percent of a sentence, or life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years.

Democratic Rep. Daniel Kagan asked lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee Thursday to postpone his bill indefinitely because there isn't enough support for it to clear the chamber.

Colorado's American Civil Liberties Union, which supported the bill, says 48 former juveniles are serving life sentences in the state.

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