Juvenile and Emerging Adult Lifers and other Long-Term Prisoners: Differences across Miller Factors and Reentry Success

Abstract Louisiana holds one of the highest life sentence rates and is known for its punitive sentencing. However, Supreme Court decisions that consider youths’ lessened culpability and greater capacity for change significantly reduced the juvenile lifer population as states applied the rulings. Some states also extended developmental arguments to reduce the most punitive sentences for emerging adults, who are disproportionately sentenced to life in the United States. In Louisiana, policies aimed at reducing incarceration have provided release opportunities for some adults serving extreme sentences. Although research has begun exploring the lives of former lifers and their pathways to reentry, continued research on the mechanisms that aid in an individual’s preparation for release from prison is needed. This paper analyzed 92 life history interviews from formerly incarcerated individuals who were sentenced to life, de facto life, or other lengthy sentences in Louisiana. The connections between early life experiences through the lens of the Miller factors and rehabilitation efforts are explored, as well as the role developmental age, based on juvenile (under 18) and emerging adult (18 to 25) age groups, at incarceration plays in their rehabilitation paths. The results indicate differences in reentry success across age groups and the influence of adverse Miller factors in success. The findings add to the incorporation of emerging adulthood in developmental and life-course criminology and highlight the need for this understanding in rehabilitation and reentry.