Incarcerated as a child, reentering as an adult: The unique reentry experiences and needs of juvenile lifers

Abstract

Following the 2016 Supreme Court decision mandating the resentencing of individuals sentenced to mandatory life without parole as children, over 1000 former juvenile lifers have been released. To understand their needs and experiences, we interviewed 47 of them about their early life experiences, time incarcerated, and release and reentry. None of those we interviewed had been arrested post-release, further supporting that juvenile lifers are low-risk releasees. Six themes emerged regarding reentry challenges, three of which were unique to those who grew up in prison: interpersonal relationships, reentry as an adult, and lifetime parole. These challenges included relationship difficulties with both family and romantic partners; adjusting to the fast pace of modern life; and navigating the burden of lifetime parole. These findings provide insight into the challenges faced by individuals incarcerated as children and released decades later. Correctional facilities could ease this transition by increasing the availability of technology-related classes or virtual reality training to simulate real-world experiences and improve reentry preparedness. Given juvenile lifers' low-risk status and high rates of successful reentry, policymakers may reconsider the utility of lifetime parole, as it may functionally be an unnecessary burden that does little to enhance public safety or assist in quality-of-life post-release.