Hope for release among juvenile lifers

• In Event: Contemporary Review of Parole: What's the Latest?

Abstract

The Supreme Court decisions of Miller v. Alabama (2012) and Montgomery v. Louisiana (2016) ignited profound hope among juvenile lifers—individuals sentenced to life without parole for crimes committed as minors. These rulings meant that parole was potentially available for the almost three thousand individuals serving juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences at that time, underscoring the importance of considering developmental science and the inherent potential for redemption in young offenders. For many, the decisions represented a transformative shift from despair to possibility, offering a chance to demonstrate change and seek freedom. As this unique population is accustomed to institutional skepticism and disappointment, this hope also came without some reservations and doubt. This chapter explores the effects of this newfound hope on various areas of juvenile lifers’ lives by utilizing qualitative data collected from a select sample of juvenile lifers (N=20 currently incarcerated, N=25 currently on parole). Specifically, we detail the ways in which this hope differs between three subgroups within this sample – the perpetually incarcerated, successfully paroled, and unsuccessfully paroled.

Authors

• Heather Paterson, Northeastern University

• Jeddie Dawson, Northeastern University

• Stuti Kokkalera, Sam Houston State University

• Carlos Monteiro, Suffolk University