There are more than 350 prisoners in Michigan who have been sentenced to life in prison, without parole, for crimes they committed as juveniles. A 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling found that states must retroactively review all these cases, saying that life sentences for juveniles should only be reserved for "the rarest of juvenile offenders.” Prosecutors in Michigan have been slow to comply.
All next week, Michigan Radio will air a special series, “Michigan’s Juvenile Lifers: Who gets a second chance?” looking at juvenile lifers in Michigan, and the efforts to resentence many of them.
All stories for the series will posted here.
Reports in the series will provide an overview on the state’s juvenile lifers, efforts by many prosecutors to re-impose life sentences, and how Michigan compares with other parts of the country that have decided to resentence many juvenile lifers.
Reports in the series, “Michigan's Juvenile Lifers: Who gets a second chance?” will air Monday-Friday, December 12-16, on Michigan Radio during Morning Edition (M-F, 5:00-9:00am), All Things Considered (M-F, 4:00-6:30pm), with additional interviews and content during Michigan Radio’s daily talk show, Stateside (weekdays at 3:00-4:00 pm, with a 10:00 pm repeat).
