On May 10, 2007 sixteen-year old Blair Holt and his friends were riding the bus home from school in Chicago. This was Blair’s last ride. A Chicago juvenile gang member looking for another gang member pushes his way onto the bus and fires wildly at the other gang member who is sitting just behind Blair. The shots hit five people, including one which killed Blair. The juvenile was convicted and sentenced to life. Blair’s father, Chicago Police Officer Ron Holt, tells Blair’s story and explains why juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) for juvenile killers and violent teens is necessary and appropriate in the right cases. Officer Holt says JLWOP is not a liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican issue; it is, in his words, a “public safety issue.” Officer Holt believes LWOP for juvenile killers and violent teens keeps communities safe and strong in their fight against crime.
Charles D. Stimson is Senior Legal Fellow and Andrew M. Grossman is Senior Legal Policy Analyst in the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation.