SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Public Act 102-1128 was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker on Friday.
The new law means people younger than 18 must have the chance to be considered for parole after serving 10, 20, or 40 years depending on the sentence.
Wendell Robinson is the Program Director at Restore Justice, one of the primary organizations that lobbied for the new law. He was only 17 years old when he was sentenced to life in prison. He served more than 25 years before he got out.
"My grandma and my mom got down on their knees and prayed every night for a situation like that to happen," said Robinson.
Robinson was able to get resentenced, after the Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life without parole sentences were unconstitutional for juvenile offenders. This occurred in the Miller v. Alabama case in 2012.
Prior to the ruling, Robinson was trying to prove his innocence. He says the hope of getting out of prison inspired him to make sure others didn't have to serve life sentences without a chance for parole.
Jobi Cates, the Executive Director of Restore Justice, says the new act recognizes that young adults mature and desrve a second chance.
"For a very long time, people would get sentenced to life and the judge would literally say, 'I don't want to give you a life sentence, you're 16 years old, but our state law does not allow me to give you any other sentence,'" said Cates.
To read Public Act 102-1128 in full, click here.
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