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Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole
Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole

Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole

—On the heels of a recent United States Supreme Court ruling that mandatory life terms without the possibility of parole for juveniles is a violation of the 8th Amendment, this docuseries spotlights eight convicted child offenders who are now seeking resentencing. The focus is split between the facts of the crimes when they were originally committed, combined with new evidence that has come to light, and the real-time updates regarding potential releases, parole hearings, and resentencing as they currently unfold. Each episode includes exclusive commentary from the convicted offenders from prison plus perspectives from leading psychologists, law enforcement and reporters closest to each case.
2 seasonsReality, DocumentaryTV-14
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Season 210 of 10 Episodes

  • Shelton Jackson was 17 when he was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of Thomas Maynard, who tragically left behind a week-old baby boy.

  • Dana Barker was only 17 when she killed her former stepmother, Brenda, in 1994; back then, the court failed to consider the role of her father, Joe, in the crime, and the circumstances that led her to murder.

  • Seventeen-year-old Deon Haynes was sentenced to life in prison for killing former classmate Christy Davis in her home; now 47, Deon has been granted a resentencing hearing.

  • Sixteen-year-old William Najar shot and killed Michael Decker, who was camping in the Phoenix desert; now 38, Najar is facing an upcoming resentencing hearing.

  • Justin Long was only 15 years old when he violently killed his adoptive father, Hoyt Long; Justin believes he finally snapped after years of corporal punishment.

  • Malcolm Thrower was 17 when he stabbed and killed Marilyn Russell, a neighborhood woman who had offered to help the homeless teen; now 28 and serving a life without parole sentence, Malcolm hopes to earn an opportunity for a reduced sentence.

  • Richard Kinder was 17 when he and a friend committed a robbery that ended in a young woman's death and the serious injury of her boyfriend; now 65, Richard has served nearly 50 years of a life-without-parole sentence.

  • Side-by-side examination of two cases involving juveniles initially sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

  • Miguel Gaitan is serving a life-without-parole sentence for the brutal murders of a family of four, committed when he was just 14; Miguel faces the possibility of release through an upcoming resentencing hearing.

  • Examining the psychology of Lee Boyd Malvo, hearing the perspective of two survivors of his crimes and following the dramatic showdown between advocates of juvenile justice reform and those who believe in standing "tough on crime."
Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole

More about Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole

On the heels of a recent United States Supreme Court ruling that mandatory life terms without the possibility of parole for juveniles is a violation of the 8th Amendment, this docuseries spotlights eight convicted child offenders who are now seeking resentencing. The focus is split between the facts of the crimes when they were originally committed, combined with new evidence that has come to light, and the real-time updates regarding potential releases, parole hearings, and resentencing as they currently unfold. Each episode includes exclusive commentary from the convicted offenders from prison plus perspectives from leading psychologists, law enforcement and reporters closest to each case.

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