"Proud to be Me:" Resilience and Transformation across the Lifespan for Individuals Returning to Society from Juvenile Life without Parole Sentences

Background and Purpose: Over 2,100 individuals serving juvenile life without paroles (JLWOP) sentences in the U.S. became eligible for resentencing following the 2016 Montgomery v. Louisiana Supreme Court ruling. Michigan housed an estimated 370 individuals serving JLWOP sentences at that time, the second largest JLWOP community in the country. Michigan has since resentenced nearly 200 juvenile lifers and released approximately 100. Individuals released from prison encounter many barriers to successful re-entry. Barriers are often amplified for individuals incarcerated as adolescents. Further, services are typically de-prioritized for individuals serving JLWOP sentences, which can be especially damaging for this community whose life experiences are marked by high rates of trauma, disadvantage, and instability. Yet, they also demonstrate resilience in the face of such challenges. The qualitative arm of this mixed-methods study utilizes an innovative, trauma-informed protocol to explore how individuals released from JLWOP sentences in Michigan conceptualize their life experiences, identities, resilience, and re-entry needs.

Methods: A cross-section of participants (N=21), represented by Michigan’s State Appellate Defender Office (SADO), was recruited during a 5-month data collection period. Participants were not incarcerated and served a range of 23-44 years (M=32). The Life Events Interview (LEI) protocol inquired about key experiences across a participant’s lifespan that included retrospective, present, and future narrative space. The LEI utilized trauma-informed principles to empower participants to narrate their life story in collaboration with the principal investigator who documented a visual representation of the narrative. The LEI created an opportunity for participants to share a cohesive narrative of their life history, goals for the future, and provided data for the study.

Data were collected and analyzed using a phenomenological framework. Interviews were conducted in-person and ranged from 1.5 hours to 4 hours. LEIs were recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions were analyzed in Dedoose. Open and holistic coding were initially used, followed by theoretical coding. Timeline data from LEIs were compiled to provide a temporal framework for themes.

Results: Participants endorsed deep histories of trauma, marginalization, socioeconomic disadvantage, and environmental vulnerabilities. Participants described resilience through education (formal and informal), interpersonal relationships, giving back and mentoring, and entrepreneurship that extended beyond confinement. Every participant narrated a journey of transformation that started as early as four years into their JLWOP sentence and as late as 23 years (M=9.5). Regardless of journey specifics, participants spent 14-36 years of their time in prison in a state of “awakening” and “radical transformation,” in search of “purpose,” “forgiveness,” and “giving back.” When asked “what stands out to you?” following the LEI, most participants (N=18) expressed awe at capturing their whole life story, “not just the prison part.”

Conclusions: Individuals who serve long-term sentences that begin in adolescence make meaning and establish hope amidst considerable trauma and adversity. This study underscores the importance of advocacy related to programming, policies, and funding for the growing JLWOP community returning to society, especially given the shifting landscape of legislation and efforts toward decarceration. The use of trauma-informed approaches remains paramount as we develop research, services, and policies for supporting these individuals.