Regular readers might recognize the name of Jacqueline Montanez. I have previously featured a poem that she wrote titled A poem for the board.

My friends at the Children and Family Justice Center at Northwestern University Law School are working diligently to obtain clemency for Ms. Montanez. If you are not familiar with her story, here is a brief summary.

In 1992, Jacqueline Montanez was arrested for the murder of two young men – rival gang members in her Humboldt Park neighborhood.

She was 15 years old. Jacqueline was subsequently sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

She is the only woman in Illinois currently sentenced to die in prison for a crime committed as a child.

“I did what they say I did, I am not who they say I am.”

Jacqueline takes full responsibility for her actions. She grieves for the victims and their families; she respects and honors their pain. No judge or jury ever learned what led up to the crime.

Jacqueline’s stepfather began sexually abusing her when she was just 7 years old. He beat her regularly and forced her to help sell drugs for his gang. When Jacqueline was 12 years old, she ran away from home and joined a rival gang. The victims of her crime were members of her stepfather’s gang.

Due to the nature of the charges, Jacqueline was automatically tried in the adult criminal system and received a mandatory sentence of life without parole. No judge or jury ever had the opportunity to consider her background in determining her sentence.

Here is a short video recapping her story:

You can also read about Ms. Montanez in a new Amnesty International report about juvenile life without parole.

Who is Jacqueline Montanez today?

Jacqueline has now been in prison for 20 years. Now 34, she is a talented poet who has earned her GED and is enrolled in college courses. Jacqueline dreams of one day being able to help young people escape gang activity and abuse.

How You Can Help:

To learn more about Jacqueline, please visit her MySpace and Facebook pages.

To support reconsideration of Jacqueline’s sentence, please sign her online petition.

To learn more about how you can support Jacqueline, please contact her attorneys at the Bluhm Legal Clinic: (312)-503-0396.

Please consider signing the petition for the Children and Family Justice’s Center client, Jacqueline Montanez who will be applying for clemency.

You can download a FACT SHEET about the case.