Freedom is no longer a dream for juvenile lifers

Recently I woke up at 6 a.m. and when I opened my eyes I saw a man whose bunk is across from mine up and listening to his music through headphones. His eyes were closed as he rocked gently to the tunes piped into his ears. Just by looking at him I could see that he had transported himself mentally outside of prison. While this is not uncommon among prisoners, I knew that for this prisoner a recent Supreme Court decision had prompted his restlessness. 

In 1983, this prisoner, I'll call him H.B., was sentenced to LIFE in prison for his part in a robbery where someone died. He was seventeen at the time of his crime. Although H.B. was not directly responsible for the victim's death, under Michigan law his involvement in the robbery made him guilty of felony murder. He certainly feels responsible for the life that was lost because of a robbery he participated in. 

By his own admission, H.B. behaved badly his first several years in prison. He was a teenager facing the rest of his life in prison. At some point, he realized he could not be angry forever and he began to find ways to help others. Today he is actively involved in Chance For Life, and he especially enjoys facilitating Houses of Healing classes for young offenders.

Even though his sentence said he would never again be free, he gave back anyway, and he kept hope alive that one day he would walk outside the razorwire again.
When the Supreme Court ruled automatic LIFE sentences for juvenile offenders unconstitutional, H.B.'s hope became a reality and within the next year or two he will likely be free again.

While some people may think that this ruling diminishes the value of the lives lost that these offenders represent, after talking to some of these men and also coming to understand a juvenile's lack of comprehending the magnitude of the consequences of his crimes, I am firmly convinced that the Supreme Court's ruling was right.
For H.B. and other men like him, I know they will honor the lives of their victims by giving back to their communities. A second chance of this magnitude can not be squandered.

In H.B.'s own words, "It does not seem real at all. I call it walking among the living. One day not knowing if you will ever be free, to the next day knowing that your prayers have been answered. Yes, it is unbelievable but true. Make no mistake about it: There IS a God! Even so, I have been through a lot. I have also accomplished a lot since my incarceration. My greatest debt is owed to the victims and their families. I still hold the greatest remorse for them all. That is from my heart and soul. I am blessed and very excited, not only to show my family but also society the man that I have become after serving 32 years in prison.