Imagine being one of the more than 200,000 people in America sentenced to life in prison. And then, after decades behind bars, laws are changed, your sentence is shortened, and the parole board approves of your release. You become tasked with re-entering society, finding stable housing, employment and a healthy social life.
These are things that everyone seeks, formerly incarcerated or not. But for people who’ve spent time behind bars, and more specifically the people who were serving life sentences – the lifers – these challenges can be insurmountable.
To the many lifers released early in California in recent years, their prison record is like a scarlet letter following them wherever they go – a different sort of life sentence.
