A prisoner facing life behind bars for a crime he committed as a teen is begging for forgiveness, asking the courts and the victim’s family to give him a second chance.
Youths in the United States are not exempt from mandatory sentencing, meaning many inmates are serving life sentences for offences they committed when they were young.
And while the charges can be as serious as manslaughter, rape or murder, there are those who suggest that locking up a teenager for the term of his or her natural life is unduly severe and doesn’t allow for rehabilitation.
A prisoner facing life behind bars for a crime he committed as a teen is begging for forgiveness, asking the courts and the victim’s family to give him a second chance
Youths in the United States are not exempt from mandatory sentencing, meaning many inmates are serving life sentences for offences they committed when they were young
‘I’ve changed and I’m not the same individual,’ says a convicted murderer in ABC’s Second Chance Kids program. ‘But I feel ashamed of what I did.’
The documentary follows two separate juvenile offenders – now adults – as they seek forgiveness for their former trespasses.
And while they stand alongside thousands of inmates currently incarcerated in the United States prison system who believe they deserve a second shot at freedom, there are others who staunchly disagree.
‘There are some people who should never be released,’ argues one prosecutor.
‘There are some crimes, in my opinion, that are so deleterious to our community that individuals deserve to go to jail for life.’
A new documentary follows two separate juvenile offenders – now adults – as they seek forgiveness for their former trespasses
The families of the victims, of course, are also wont to have fairly strong views on the matter.
Emotionally charged parole hearings reveal the confrontations between convicted criminals and the families who have lost loved ones to their crimes.
‘He was my only son and I’ll never forgive him, ever!’ declares the mother of a murder victim.
The case poses profound questions around the idea of mandatory sentencing, and prompts consideration over whether these prisoners should be given a second chance at life.
Second Chance Kids is set to air Monday 25th June at 8.30pm on the ABC.