Initiative: Children in Prison Project

Students visiting a client for the Children in Prison Project

Select students at the Center are involved in the ongoing Children in Prison Project. Students have advocated for better prison conditions for juvenile inmates, such as better nutrition and education. The Center represents juvenile inmates applying to the Governor for Executive Clemency, which involves a hearing with the Governor and his Cabinet. Students perform other post-conviction work such as appeals and motions for rehearing. Students also conduct research involving patterns of abuse in prison and tracking the number of children in the system. The Children in Prison Project has been featured on National Public Radio, 60 Minutes II and The New York Times Magazine cover feature, and has received international attention in magazines such as Spain's El Pais Semanal and Germany's Bild.

Media coverage of the Children in Prison Project includes:

Law students draft legislation for parole options for adolescents (May 1, 2008 Florida Bar News article)
FSU law school students work to redeem futures of juvenile convicts (January 17, 2008 Tallahassee Democrat column)
When it's wrong to throw away the key (January 6, 2008 St. Petersburg Times editorial)
Bill redeems model inmates locked up as kids (January 2, 2008 St. Petersburg Times article)