"Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole" tells the individual stories of eight previously convicted child offenders sentenced to mandatory life terms, without parole, who are now seeking resentencing on the heels of a recent United States Supreme Court ruling.
Shelton Jackson was 17 when he was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of Thomas Maynard, who tragically left behind a week-old baby boy. Now 48, Jackson has been granted a resentencing hearing that could result in his release.
Dana Barker was only 17 when she killed her former stepmother Brenda in 1994. Back then, the court failed to consider the role of her father Joe in the crime.
16-year-old William Najar shot and killed Michael Decker, who was camping in the Phoenix desert. Now 38, Najar is facing an upcoming resentencing hearing.
Malcolm Thrower was 17 when he stabbed and killed Marilyn Russell, a neighborhood woman who had offered to help the homeless teen. Now 28 and serving a life without parole sentence, Malcolm hopes to earn an opportunity for a reduced sentence.
Richard Kinder was 17 when he and a friend committed a robbery that ended in a young woman's death, and the serious injury of her boyfriend. Now 65, Richard has served nearly 50 years of a life without parole sentence.
This special offers an in-depth, side by side examination of two explosive cases involving juveniles initially sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Miguel Gaitan is serving a life without parole sentence for the brutal murders of a family of four, committed when he was just 14. Miguel now faces the possibility of release through an upcoming resentencing hearing.
