Nearly every mother has dreams for her children. She dreams about them growing up to be successful in their careers, finding loving partners and creating grandchildren.  Those dreams never include imprisonment.

This Mother’s Day, we highlight the stories of mothers of people who are serving sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole for crimes committed when they were children. These mothers were separated from their children during their formative years and have had to give up on their dreams. They have sat in court and listened to witnesses, prosecutors and judges claim that their children are monsters,  as they desperately seek guidance on how to navigate a complex legal system that holds the fate of their children.

They have watched their children escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs, knowing they will never hold their children again. Their maternal role to protect their children has been forever stripped of them, their mothering questioned, and they are left carrying shame, guilt, and a deep sense of loneliness.

These mothers do not question the severity of, or excuse the mistakes their children have made. They recognize the pain suffered by the mothers of those lost in tragic acts of violence. They know their children must pay their debts to society.

Mothers know more deeply than any others that their children are worth much more than the sum of their actions.  This knowledge and their love motivate them to bear the shame they carry and courageously speak out to bring their children home.  Join us this Mother’s Day, on behalf of the 2,500 mothers of children sentenced to die in prison, to ensure that no child is ever discarded for life.