Efran Paredes

General background information I am a 47-year-old Latino male originally from Berrien County, Michigan, who is a social justice advocate, blogger, and changemaker. I have spent the majority of my adult life working to raise awareness about the scourge of mass incarceration, promoting prison reform, and fighting to abolish death-by-incarceration sentences for juvenile offenders.

I have also invested in our future by enriching the lives of my incarcerated peers by educating them about civic responsibility, conflict resolution, insight development, cultural competency, emotional intelligence, developing resiliency factors, and helping them develop skills to successfully reintegrate into society upon release by participating in and creating rehabilitative and self-help programming.

I enjoy writing about a variety of issues which are available on my blog (http://4Efren.blogspot.com) and Facebook page (http://fb.com/Free.Efren). I have also participated in radio, television, print and web-based interviews and been featured on a number of podcasts. Links to my interviews are available on my Facebook page.

Case background

I was arrested on March 15, 1989 at age 15 for the homicide and robbery of a grocery store manager in St. Joseph, Michigan. I have been incarcerated for 32 years (two-thirds of my life) and have vigorously maintained my innocence since the day of my arrest.

My case was featured in the 2015 documentary film “Natural Life” produced by award-winning filmmaker Tirtza Even about juveniles sentenced to life without parole in Michigan. I am also the subject of a documentary film titled “Half Truths and Full Lies” about my wrongful conviction produced by filmmakers Tirtza Even, Meg McLagan, and multimedia producer Elyse Blennerhassett, which is a work-in-progress (http://HTFL.info).

I am currently awaiting a ruling from the Berrien County Trial Court to determine whether or not I receive a term-of-year sentence that would make me eligible for parole consideration at some point in the future. The decision is scheduled to be made in May.

A 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling banned mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juvenile offenders convicted of homicide. The high court also gave trial court judge’s discretion whether to impose term-of-year or life-without-parole sentences. Life-without-parole could no longer be the only mandatory sentence.

Previous to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling the only punishment judges could give to Michigan juvenile offenders convicted of first-degree homicide in adult court was a mandatory life-without-parole sentence. Judges had no discretion to issue another sentence.

Across the nation states were ordered to review the cases of 2,500 juvenile offenders impacted by the landmark ruling — 367 which were in Michigan — to determine what sentence they should receive.

According to the U.S. Supreme Court only juvenile offenders who are forever incapable of change and rehabilitation are candidates for life-without-parole sentences. Those who are capable of change and rehabilitation must receive term-of-year sentences and become eligible for parole consideration at some point.

To date 94% of the 220+ juvenile lifers who have been resentenced have received term-of-year sentences. Judges have adhered to the 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling which held that life without parole for juvenile offenders must become “rare,” “uncommon,” and only applied in “exceptional circumstances.”