"Institutionalization to Societalization:" Former Juvenile Lifers Share Recommendations for Supporting Reintegration to Society Following a Life Sentence

Background and Purpose: At the time of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Montgomery ruling in 2016, approximately 370 men and women were serving juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences in the state of Michigan, the second largest JLWOP community in the nation. Montgomery, along with state-level policies related to resentencing has resulted in the early release of approximately 175 in Michigan. While the Supreme Court rulings and state policies provided guidance for (re)sentencing, they did not offer provisions, funding, nor guidance for services and programming related to re-entry. So, individuals who were imprisoned as teenagers and raised in carceral institutions—where they were systemically deprioritized for programming and services because they were to live their natural lives in prison—have been returning to life outside of prison with increased vulnerabilities to the challenges of re-entry. This study explored the pre-release and post-release needs of former juvenile lifers as they transitioned back to their community from a life sentence.

Methods: This case study (N=27) used data from two qualitative studies in one state that explored the re-entry experiences of the first individuals who were released from JLWOP sentences between 2016 and 2020. Participants were purposively recruited through a community-based agency within two to 22 months (M=12) of their release. Participants were predominately male (96%) and Black (85%) served 24-41 years in prison (M=31). To date, no one in the sample has returned to jail or prison; two (7%) have died since release. In-person interviews ranged from 75 to 251 minutes (M=133); all interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed with emerging themes identified through analytic memoing. Transcriptions were analyzed in Dedoose using holistic, pattern, and in vivo coding.

Results: Participants reported interpersonal, mental health, logistical, and structural barriers to their reintegration experience—traumatic for many due to challenges inherent in transitioning from the carceral context to the community context. The strategies required by participants for survival and maintaining hope while in prison did not translate effectively once released. Further, participants relied heavily on family and friends for most of their support due to the absence of centralized, accurate, and timely options from criminal legal and community resources. Recommendations for reintegration support following a life sentence were unanimous: 1) psychological and interpersonal assistance, 2) vocational and technology support, and 3) material supports that included housing, transportation, paperwork and healthcare.

Conclusions and Implications: Individuals imprisoned as teenagers and then released from life sentences have considerable needs at re-entry, especially in the absence of state or federal-level guidance and support. The practice and policy implications from this study are centered on the lived experiences of juvenile lifers; the findings suggest interventions for individuals returning to their communities from life and long-term sentences are particularly warranted in the months immediately preceding release, as well as three to six-months post-release, with coordinated efforts across carceral and community contexts.