The Pit and the Pendulum

Last time the non-profit organization Human Rights Watch counted, there were 2,270 juveniles serving life without the possibility of parole in prison in the United States, 45 of them in Colorado.

In the rest of the world, there is one.

The issue of juveniles serving life sentences has recently caught the attention of the masses: Frontline's television special on the topic, "When Kids Get Life," featured five Colorado juvie lifers: Jacob Ind, Trevor Jones, Andrew Medina, Erik Jensen and Nathan Ybanez ("Headed for Trouble," July 7, 2005). In 2006, the Colorado Legislature changed the law so that no juvenile will ever again receive a life-without-parole sentence, thanks largely to the efforts of Colorado's own non-profit Pendulum Foundation. But the law is not retroactive, and the fight to change the sentences of those who are still locked up continues.

Pendulum will host a benefit concert, When Kids Get Life, tonight at the Oriental Theater, 4335 West 44th Avenue, starting at 6 p.m. The suggested $10 donation gets you in the door, and live music will be in the house, including a special performance by Laura Goldhamer. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.pendulumfoundation.com or call 303-455-2124.
Sun., Feb. 10, 2008