Testimonials
Justice for Carly Gregg is an organisation dedicated to providing advocacy, and community outreach.
If you are reading this page, you are likely aware – perhaps painfully so – that our granddaughter Carly was judged guilty of first-degree murder, attempted first degree murder, and tampering with evidence on September 20, 2024 after a jury deliberated less than two hours.
For these convictions this then fourteen-year-old girl is now sentenced to two life sentences (without parole) and a ten-year sentence. As she sits incarcerated in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, her community is rallying around her to seek an appeal.
Mr & Mrs Robert Breland
Supporting Carly means supporting a future where justice is rooted in humanity. That’s why I stand with Carly Gregg — and why I believe no child should be sentenced to die in prison.
Lisa Ann Featherstone
Chief Operating Officer
Jodi Bush Stocker
Executive Director of Advocacy & Funding
Carly and her story has opened my eyes to the deep injustices faced by children in our legal system—especially those struggling with mental health. This has become a personal mission for me: to share her story and raise awareness in hopes of ending juvenile life without parole.
Tara Ashby
Executive Director
Carly's case is a heartbreaking example of a broken justice system — a 14-year-old child in crisis, punished as an adult and sentenced to life without parole, with no regard for her age, mental health, or the medication-induced state she was in. This isn’t justice — it’s a tragedy. Carly was failed by the very systems meant to help her. As a parent, I can’t stay silent while a child is locked away for life without compassion, understanding, or a second chance.
Lisa Featherstone
Why I Created the Facebook Group – Justice for Carly Gregg.
Creating the group was deeply personal for me. Learning that a 15-year-old girl had just been convicted and sentenced to life in prison shook me to the core. But what truly broke me was witnessing the reaction of those who love her most. They want Carly back. That’s why we are here—a team of warriors: mums, dads, brothers, sisters, friends. We are here to fight for Carly, to tell her story, to demand justice, and ultimately to bring her home.
Bryan Stark
As a parent of a child who has suffered and is still suffering from mental health issues, this case touched my heart . A 14 year old child sentenced as an adult not only shocked me to the core but to be judged in a space of a week . Children like Carly who have mental health problems need support for their personal well-being, development, impact, and ability to meet the child's needs . Support from outside services is so important, and especially recognising that a child needs support networks. A child like Carly needs rehabilitation, not life in prison. This is why I support this group of lovely people to help Carlys cause and other children who are in the same situation.
Sarah Sugden
As a mother of a neurodivergent child, I know how vital it is for young people to feel seen, supported, and given a sense of purpose.
In my role as educational lead at Justice for Carly Gregg, I fight for access to meaningful education within the prison system—education that nurtures growth, supports mental well-being, and helps individuals rediscover focus and self-worth.
Every child deserves the chance to thrive, not just survive.
Kim Miles
As someone who has long been passionate about protecting children’s rights and working to reduce the number of young people entering the criminal justice system, the verdict and life sentence handed down to Carly Gregg was deeply disturbing to me.
I knew immediately that I couldn’t stand by—I had to get involved and do whatever I could to help Carly, raise awareness, and advocate for a system that treats vulnerable children with the care, compassion, and understanding they so urgently need and deserve.
Erich King
Finding Carly was important to me — not just because of the injustice she’s facing, but because I wanted her to know she is not forgotten. I wanted her to feel, even from behind walls, that she is deeply loved — by people across the world. I wanted that love to reach her, to remind her that she matters.
Becoming one of Carly's warriors gave me more than just a purpose, it brought me into a community bound by love, compassion, and unwavering determination to see Carly free. We come from different places and walks of life, but we are united by one unshakable belief: Carly deserves justice, and she deserves a future filled with hope.
Sherry Whibley
As a lifelong resident of Mississippi, I’ve seen firsthand how our justice system has failed — not just defendants, but victims and their families too. Carly’s case is the most heartbreaking example of all.
Not all cases are the same. Justice is not a “one-size-fits-all”. Carly was a vulnerable child in a mental health crisis, not a hardened criminal. She was met with the harshest sentence, no regard for her age, trauma, or circumstances that led to that tragic day.
I pray that her case becomes the catalyst for real change. Mississippi has the opportunity to reform. We can no longer lag behind the rest of the world. It’s time for Mississippi to lead with humanity. And it’s long past time for Carly to come home.
Casey Dabbs
Carly's trial was an alarming example of how our legal system can fail the very children it claims to protect.
Carly at 14 was a child with a documented history of trauma, loss, and mental health struggles. The court offered her no understanding, mercy and no meaningful defense. From arrest she was treated as an irredeemable criminal rather than a broken child in crisis.
The trial was painful to watch. When Carly entered the courtroom, the outcome had already been decided. The trial was about retribution, politics, and public optics. A betrayal of values that our legal system is supposed to uphold. Carly deserves a second chance, to be seen as more than the worst moment of her life. As a country we need to do better for our children and mental health issues. If we don’t understand we need to dig deep and find a solution.
Tara Ashby
