Posted: Friday, October 5, 2018

Ian Manuel will speak at the University of Evansville on Monday, October 22. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall room 251 within Ridgway University Center. Manuel will be discussing his experience of being sentenced to life imprisonment as a juvenile and his eventual release through the help of his victim turned advocate and the Equal Justice Initiative.

Manuel was 13 years old when he was sentenced to life for shooting Debbie Baigre, a young, white woman. He served 26 years of his sentence, much of it in solitary confinement due to his young age. Baigre became his supporter and friend, advocating for his early release. On November 10, 2016, Manuel was released from prison at the age of 40. His case paved the way for other groundbreaking legislation prohibiting life sentences for juveniles convicted of non-homicide offenses (Graham v. Florida, 2010). All juveniles sentenced to life in prison at that time in the US for non-homicide cases were children of color.

Manuel’s remarkable story is included in the bestselling book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, written by Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative.

This event is co-sponsored by the University’s Psychology Club, Student Government Association, the Black Student Union, and the Department of Law, Politics, and Society.

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