Taking a Second Look at Life without Parole: Where it’s Imposed and Mechanisms for Reform

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

The massive expansion of life without parole (LWOP) sentencing in the United States over the last 50 years has often been overlooked, despite the continuing proliferation of LWOP sentences in many jurisdictions. The first two papers in this panel explore placed-based drivers of LWOP sentencing in the U.S. Study 1 explores county-level explanations for the increase in LWOP sentencing, even as overall incarceration rates decline, while Study 2 tests whether racial threat can explain the size of state LWOP populations as well as racial disparities within those populations. The second two papers examine promising reforms for reversing the proliferation of LWOP sentencing. Study 3 examines existing “second look” release mechanisms for lifers across the U.S., highlighting areas for future reform efforts, and Study 4 examines how one type of reform – juvenile life without parole resentencing – is implemented by courtroom actors across counties.

Sub Unit

• Area VI. The Criminal Justice System / 46. Courts & Sentencing

Individual Presentations

• County-Level Drivers of Life Sentences - Ashley Marie Nellis, American University; Ross Kleinstuber, University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown

• Can The Racial Threat Hypothesis Explain the Proliferation of and Racial Disparities in Life Without Parole Sentences? - Ross Kleinstuber, University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown; Ellory Dabbs, Penn State Harrisburg

• A Second Look for Lifers - Jessica S. Henry, Montclair State University

• Understanding how courtroom workgroups across counties implement juvenile life-without-parole reform - Leah Ouellet, Northwestern University

Discussant

• Stuti Kokkalera, Sam Houston State University

Organized by a Division or external group?

Division of Corrections & Sentencing