Dear FRONTLINE,

I have two sons; one 11 the other 4. I pray that neither should do something so heinous as to rob them of their youth and their life by committing a crime such as murder. Yet, I pray more that they should not become the victim of such a crime.

Seeing remorse and tears of the defense attorneys, mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers of those featured in your documentary did not make me empathetic or question the rationale of our law-makers, instead it hardened my heart even more, and made me realize, once again, how even more contorted our system of justice might be if left to the fate of so-called legal experts and the like.

Because the victims are gone, removed from site, dead, buried, decaying and decomposing in the earth, we fail to realize they are the ones who have truly suffered. With crime, comes punishment - that's the fact. The mother who can only visit her son in prison for life, who can never give her son a soft drink, a hug or kiss, or can only see her loved one behind three inches of glass, is nothing compared to the mother whose son lies six feet under the ground. She will never be able to see her son again, talk to him, bring him a soft drink -what solace will you offer her? Give me a break - please...

Because our society lives longer, we have a mindset that our children should remain children until the actual legal age of eighteen. We fail to realize that one hundred years ago, when our life expectancy was half of what it is now, those children grew up fast and had adult responsibilities that we possibly couldn't or wouldn't want to fathom today. What light switch turns on to say that from age 17, you're not responsible enough or should know better than to take a life, to age 18 where you can vote, and carry a gun to kill someone in the event of war? Give me a break - please.

As it is now, we should stay the course and keep the law as is. I return to my sons - if they committed or participated in the crimes these individuals featured in your documentary allegedly did, as a father I would feel many things - a sense of failure, embarrassment, anger, and of course loss. But having the luxury of visiting my son in prison and lamenting his crime is far better, far better, than visiting a cemetery and speaking to a grave marker. And if you can't see the difference in this - give me a break - please...

James House, Jr.
Cumberland, Maryland

Dear FRONTLINE,

In Canada, up to the age of 18, any person charged and found guilty of a crime is sentenced under the Young Offenders Act. For murder, the maximum sentence is three years. Although some might argue this is too lenient, many, like myself, agree with the points you raise in "When Kids Get Life". In Canada these offenders are placed in youth facilities and are exposed to trained therapists, educational opportunites, and any programs which would enable them to return to society and move forward to be productive citizens. I am proud of Canada's method in dealing with young offenders and wish the United States would legislate new laws to allow these young people a second chance at life.

Mavis Walton
Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Dear FRONTLINE,

I'm pretty liberal but amazed at how disturbed I am at the tenor of the broadcast. The young men in prison were not pre-teens, they knew how to get and use guns, there was some thought in the planning or commission or attempts at covering up their crimes. They now are fed and housed, can read,learn and possibly obtain educations and degrees. The only thing they lack is freedom in society.Their families can communicate and/or see them. They certainly have many more choices than their victims.

chesapeake, va

Dear FRONTLINE,

my child at the age of 16 was sentenced to life in prsion with out possibility of parole, in the Florida DOC. I would like info on the Pendulum Foundation. Thank You.

port st lucie, florida

FRONTLINE's editors respond:

Please visit our Readings & Links for a link to the Pendulum Foundation's Web site and more.

Dear FRONTLINE,

These cases expose several weaknesses in our justice system. One is that prosecutors may coerce one witness to testify against another in the attempt to get a conviction, a policy which can create injustice. Another is the infamous "felony [murder] conviction" which in Colorado seems to be applied in a draconian fashion devoid of any attempt at understanding, let alone of mercy. Another is the tendency prosecutors to seek their own ends at the expense of hapless kids. Still another is the practice, apparently, of promising the breaved (whose sufferings are real and protracted) that the perpetrator will remain in prison forever: such promises, when granted, should automatically disbar those making such promises of any further responsibilities in the justice system. Another sad fact is the viciousness which we all possess in not caring what happens to our fellows. And a last, I regret to say, is the unrelenting bitterness of the families who have lost a loved one in their desperation to wring some consolation from the suffering of the chilren who have wronged them. I hope if I were in their situation, I would find it in my heart to forgive and release the malice which they feel towards a child who of course does not ever exist any longer.

Roger Plumsky
Johnsonburg, PA

Dear FRONTLINE,

This is a Canadian perspective.

There is no capital punishment or life without parole (except in very extreme continuing offender circumstances). The maximum sentence is 25 yrs without parole.

I think it absolutely absurd that a teenager, or even young adult, should be sentenced to life without parole, if it is not a question of untreatable mental disease.

Life without parole, in my opinion, is worse than a sentence of death. It means life without hope. People so sentenced can only be a problem to your prison system.

It is nonsense to think a child, teenager, or even young adult is incapable of change for the rest of their lives.

Is the American society focused on revenge or justice to all?

Jim Corbett

Jim Corbett
Hamilton, ON, Canada

Dear FRONTLINE,

I was shocked to hear this story. I know murder is wrong and deserves prosecution. I do feel for the families that lost their loved ones. These boys though, that were spotlighted on tonights Frontline, really were given, in my opinion, too harsh of a sentence. They were not adults when these crimes were committed, and they should not have been given life without parole. I am on their side. Life without possibility of parole? Come on!!

The mother that said she would never forgive the boy that killed her son, accidently, I feel for her loss, I really do, if it were my son, I'd probably feel the same way, but they should not have been sentenced to life w/out parole. Their trials need to be reconsidered. And the boy that is solitary confinment 23 out of 24 hours/day and is now experiencing neurological problems, that is a crime in itself.I could hardly watch the program. I was sitting there thinkig I'd probably have nightmares from it. I hope that these boys,and probably more than them, will have their cases reconsidered. May God Bless our Nation.

Tami Nelson
Carrollton, VA

Dear FRONTLINE,

In Canada we have a youth justice act that removes teenagers from the adult system. Penalties for murder conviction for a teenager rarely go beyond 6 years closed confinement.

The problem we have is youth gun crime in major cities with no real legal remedy. And when a youth gets out of jail, his record is sealed and he might be sitting next to your child in school, or college and the public cannot protect itself. We have gone the other way, it does not work for violent crime.

Cam Wasdell
coldwater, Ontario

Dear FRONTLINE,

This is another example of how barbaric a country this is. The brains of teenagers are not fully formed so they are not adults therefore, to treat them as adults is to ignore reality. Explaining this behavior by saying that it gives solace to the families of the victims is admitting that we provide revenge as solace in place of justice and reason. The most frightening person in this documentary is Gail Pallone. She exudes hate and vengeance. She has replaced her son with hate. She probably calls herself a christian. It's understandable that she is in such pain. There is no healing in a heart full of hate and vengeance.

New York, New York

Dear FRONTLINE,

The punishment is much too harsh. Colorado is a state to avoid.

Tony Barker
Toronto, canada

FRONTLINE's editors respond:

To compare Colorado to other states, see our map of juvenile offenders serving life without parole nationwide.

Dear FRONTLINE,

Anyone who can say a teenager should be tried as an adult based on the crime allegedly committed should not be allowed to prosecute that child. Their "ignorance" of the developmental differences between a child and an adult shows they are either seeking to retain their positions by doing what's "popular", or they are simply not well educated about what is the nature of childhood thinking.

If they are going to prosecute children, they need to get themselves educated about the psychological development of children. If they are allowed to continue to prosecute children, then yet another crime is being committed. They should not be allowed to serve the public because they do not truly understand the meaning of serving justice.

Peg Lopata
Francestown, NH

Dear FRONTLINE,

PBS - you are so one-sided. You aired much more of the interviews with the murderers and their families than you did with the victims and their families. Oh yeah, you couldn't interview the victims, they were dead - forever!

It was so heart-wrenching to hear the sad stories of the families of the murderers and what they lost and yet the program was so cold and matter-of-fact with the families of those who were murdered. That was so offensive to those who know right from wrong!

The murderers realize that their life is no longer worth living, that they are doing no good to anyone else. Well, they at least have a second and a third chance at becoming a child of God and living in heaven for eternity. Remember, they took these extra days and hours away from their victims. A person who is not a child of God when he is murdered has no second chance to become a child of God once this life is over.

If the murderer's life is not worth living, why do we keep feeding them, and trying to save them from being victims of other murderers who are in prison. If the inmate's life is one of regret and anguish, why do we torture them with years of this. They intentionally took a life, the government has a right to mete out justice and take their life. Sometimes closure is best for the victim's relatives and for the murderer and his relatives as well.

Jerry Sharp
Sebastian, FL

Dear FRONTLINE,

What a completely heartbreaking and utterly despairing situation in our country! We have very little, if any, time for our children any longer. As adults we fail our children and then we turn the consequences of our failures on the children who most need us to rebuild them. Does anybody care about the cries of these children? Where is the justice found in our "justice system" for them? We live in fear of our kids and we punish our kids to appease our fears in hopes that getting rid of these children will help make us feel safer. It's time that adults begin to do what adults are called to do..."train up a child in the way in which he should go..."

MiKael Stewart
Cincinnati, Ohio

Dear FRONTLINE,

Exceptional program. Should be put on DVD and sent to every legislator, governor, and judge as required viewing. Political leaders should have the courage to repeal the laws which established these insane sentencing standards.

New York, NY

Dear FRONTLINE,

I really think a major problem in our society concerns accountability. Many young people are never taught in the schools or by their parents to be accountable for their actions. I notice this on the University campus where I work. For every action there is a reaction and society can sometimes be harsh. As a consequence, many young people go out into the world feeling that they can do anything because in the past there were no consequences for their behaviors. The generational changes in behaviors have been massive since I was a young man and I notice them on a daily basis. In this society we have the ability to do anything good or bad as long as we are willing to pay the price. It is the definition of freedom. Consequences of one's action must be taught by parents and the educational system starting at the earliest possible age. Harsh consequences at the youngest possible age will prevent the stories that were portrayed on "Frontline" from happening in mass.

James Hagerty
Cranston, Rhode Island