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A House committee approved a bill Friday that seeks to end the practice of sentencing minors to life in prison without parole for violent crimes.
"We recognize the difference between children and adults and we fashion a [justice] system that takes those into consideration," said Rep. Lowry Snow, R-St. George.
Currently, there are two people serving life sentences for rapes and stabbings that were handed down when the convicted killers were under the age of 18.
The bill, second substitute HB405, would not change those sentences, but in the future minors convicted of capital crimes would at least have an opportunity to convince the Board of Pardons that they deserve to be released from prison after serving at least 25 years behind bars.
"This bill does not guarantee the release of anyone but rather ensures that a child that commits a serious crime and is charged as an adult has the opportunity for parole review," Snow, an attorney, said. "Under our current law, the only way they would leave the prison is in a coffin."
Nine states have done away with sentence of life without parole for children.
The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony from Xavier McElrath-Bay who came from an abusive home, joined a gang at age 11 and at 13 pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in prison for first-degree murder.
While in prison, he earned his bachelor's degree and later a master's and has worked on programs to help keep children out of prison.
"I am not the same person I was when I was 13 years old," said McElrath-Bay, who urged the committee to give Utah children the opportunity to "live out an eternal apology" like he had.
The committee approved Snow's bill on a unanimous vote, sending it to the full House for consideration.