Mission
Drop LWOP New England restores hope to people serving life without the possibility of parole (LWOP) and other extreme sentences through advocacy and community engagement.
Vision
Drop LWOP New England creates awareness of death by incarceration and works to end life without parole sentences (LWOP) one New England state at a time.
Beliefs
We believe in ending LWOP, the death penalty, and all forms of extreme punishment.
We believe that these sentences do not bring healing or accountability.
We believe in supporting opportunities for every incarcerated person to return to the community.
Our Approach
Using a resilience-focused, trauma-informed story-telling model, we work closely with individuals serving life sentences to develop a present-focused narrative about who they are today.
In focusing on the present, the incarcerated person has an opportunity to describe all of who they are instead of being defined by their worst behavior.
The current practice within the carceral system focuses on relitigating the case. This can be traumatic for ALL involved and unhelpful given that the past cannot be undone. Also, psychological research has shown that the characteristics of the original crime have little to do with a current assessment of risk for a future crime. Too much emphasis is placed on the emotionally provocative details of the violence of the past.
It is our hope that in providing tools for the incarcerated person to develop their narrative of resilience, they and their loved ones will feel more empowered to advocate to be returned to the community.