“The Shackles are Ever-So-Present”: Experience of Parole after Exiting a Life Sentence Starting in Childhood

• In Event: Reintegration Gatekeepers in Parole and Probation Systems

Abstract

The US is the only country in the world to sentence children (ages 17 and under) to life in prison. Several Supreme Court rulings have opened the door for reconsideration of some of these sentences, resulting in the release of more than 1,200 “juvenile lifers.”
This study used mixed methods with a social network component to explore the post-release lives of people sentenced to life and long sentences as children. Findings are reported from a quantitative sample of 78 juvenile lifers from 24 US states and Washington, DC, as well as from the qualitative subsample (N=46) of the quantitative sample. This presentation focuses on the post-release experiences of this group, with special attention paid to the role of parole officers and the experience of post-release surveillance.
Of the 555 social network members listed by the 78 participants, zero were parole officers. Quantitative and qualitative data raise important questions about the utility of parole for this population given their incredibly low recidivism rate, the deleterious impact of continued surveillance on their well-being, and the many negative responses regarding parole officers.

Author

• Nancy Digby Franke, La Salle University