After a Supreme Court decision in 2016 ruled that mandatory life sentences for juveniles were unconstitutional, a flurry of resentencing hearings followed across the country. But for the 185 juvenile lifers incarcerated in Tennessee at the time, it was as if nothing had ever happened. The state claimed that the SCOTUS decision didn’t apply, because the mandatory sentences in Tennessee are technically “60 to life,” meaning that after decades in prison there was a small chance for parole.

Read the episode transcript here.

What followed were several legal battles, culminating in a 2022 Tennessee Supreme Court decision that ultimately ruled the state sentencing unconstitutional, bringing down the required minimum prison time to 25 years…to life. Shortly after, the Republican-led state legislature responded by proposing a torrent of “tough on crime” bills aimed at juveniles, even for low level offenses.

This episode takes us to Tennessee, where we explore the changes that have occurred after the legal battle, how those working in the juvenile justice system fear a new bill for “blended sentencing” may affect the most vulnerable, and we meet with volunteers who are working together to try and stop children from entering the justice system in the first place. 

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This episode was produced by Julieta Martinelli and edited by Andrea López-Cruzado. It was mixed by Gabriela Baez. Fact checking by Roxana Aguirre.

Illustration by Mya Pagán.