"I wrestle daily with the fact that I played a part in the taking of another human's life. I am ashamed and remorseful. I deserve to be punished, but I do not deserve to be thrown away. It's been 24 years and I have changed!"
Homicide arrests peak at age 19, and both neuroscience and decades of experience show that most people age out of violent behavior by the time they hit 25
Yet 1 of every 7 people in U.S. prisons is serving a life sentence.
In one real-life example, 188 people—most originally convicted of murder or rape—were released from prison after more than 30 years. In the following seven years, only 3% recidivated (and only 1 case was for a serious crime).
The impact: Ruptured families and wasted human potential.
More Than Our Crimes
