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6/1/2026
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Rep. Casimiro awarded Freedom Innovator Award
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STATE HOUSE – Rep. Julie A. Casimiro was awarded the Freedom Innovator Award by the RI Freedom Collective at the first annual Freedom Gala held on May 29. She was honored due to her sponsorship and advocacy for “Mario’s Law” which made minors who were sentenced as adults eligible for parole after serving 20 years of a sentence. The legislation was named after Mario Monteiro who was sentenced to life in prison as a juvenile.
“Kids make mistakes, sometimes truly awful mistakes, but we must realize they were still committed by children without fully developed brains and the necessary biological and social development to realize the significant impacts and consequences of their crimes. We passed ‘Mario’s Law’ because the children who committed crimes and finished growing up inside a jail cell deserved a shot at freedom if they realized the error and pain caused by their previous actions and can prove that they have fundamentally changed,” said Representative Casimiro (D-Dist. 31, North Kingstown, Exeter). “This award means so much to me because it was a long journey to get ‘Mario’s Law’ passed, but since then, it’s been a privilege to witness the remarkable and caring man Mario Monteiro has become. I thank him for his friendship and for recognizing me with this tremendous honor.”
The RI Freedom Collective is a robust network supporting formerly incarcerated persons, influencing policy change, and elevating the voices of people currently incarcerated and their families in Rhode Island and nationally.
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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