This Is What It’s Like to Spend Your Life in Prison | NYT Opinion

Anyone can changed and it doesn't have to take so many years, I don't like when people seemed to have a one-track mind they simply don't believe in changes and giving other people a chance in life, those inmates deserved a chance to be reunited with their families and friends, so please grant them the opportunity that they can at least lived and die as free human beings

government commits the most crimes and they killed the most innocent people. governments all over the world committed the most atrocities against the poor and the innocents. These inmates deserved a chance. How long does it takes for someone to rehabilitate? The people whom kept those inmates in prison, without considering giving them a chance to see their families and loved ones again, they themselves had also committed a crime against. The Most God of creation. Anyone whom thinks that people don't deserve a chance in life after they committed a crime is the devil's advocates 😈

awesome. the autorities in my country do not allow any journalist to interview a person who has been sentenced to life imprisonment or death sentence.

Don't want to do the time? Don't do the crime.

Trump has done mass pardons before , he will again trump 24 wake up

What I take from this opinion is that the victim has not been taken into consideration rather all focus is on the perpetrator punishment being excessive. I am of the opinion that capital punishment should be abolished because there is no retracting such sentence. The life imprisonment is used as a deterrent for those that are contemplating such actions to consider the consequences of their actions. The argument presented here focus mainly on the financial aspect of the incarceration of people convicted of murder. Moreover, the opinion never considers the implication imposed on the families and the victims. These individuals executed a capital punishment on their victims that they can never reverse no matter how much they claim that they would take it back. If punishment for murder was to cap at a time set, there will be individuals that would gladly take the time and commit the murder to satisfy their grievances. Therefore, it is fundamental that the toughest punishment possible be stablished to deter such actions from society. Short of taking a life, that taking a life is a remedy that could never be reversed if latter is discover that an innocent person was wrongly convicted, life imprisonment is next best deterrent we can offer as an alternative to capital punishment. Again, the opinion in this case focuses only on the perpetrator without consideration to the victims past. present and future and the consequences deriving from empathy guided in the wrong direction. People do make mistakes and do turn their lives around, but in the same breath no consequences for one's actions will not deter us from comporting ourselves in a civilized manner plunging our society into anarchy. Never has anyone been stopped by police for doing obeying the law and given an award for it, we are expected to obey the law because it protects all of us. Of course, they are remorseful now that they committed the crime after they have to face the consequences, guaranty that if the consequences were not as harsh as they are there would be less remorse from some of them. To relax punishment for the crime will not deter. Case in point the States of Washington, Oregon, California, Chicago and NY all have large chain stores are closing due to problem of shoplifting that has been decriminalized by these States. Now how would you make an argument that relaxing criminalization would deter individuals from committing crimes?

Sammie's conviction was actually overturned 2 years into his sentence. He spent life in prison because of a prison fight that killed someone. If he hadn't been wrongfully convicted in the first place none of this would have happened. Truly heartbreaking

I understand they did really bad things but, that doesn’t make this any less heartbreaking 💔

ugh it makes my heart hurt seeing mugshots of teenagers.

While I feel somewhat sorry for these people the truth of the matter is they would've kept doing the same thing until they were caught so it's a good thing they were locked up when they were

Really trying to make people sympathetic for people that took someone else's life.

They deserve everything they got you take a life you owe your life makes me so angry listening to these idiots have the audacity to complain.

Nothing so much indicates the lack of compassion among the human population as people's willingness to keep other humans trapped behind bars. Cruel species.

I just can’t reconcile that they gave a life sentence in many cases to their victim. The same sentence they now want to get out of. Just doesn’t seem right.

An abandoned town would be a good place to let these people live . Their own society.

Who is the journalist / filmmaker

Powerful

❤Abdul Qadar MuhammadTyrone Michael Green ❤️‍🔥 Free Our Prison s

Take a life and forfeit your own. Too bad for them. But not as bad as it is for their victims.

They took someone’s life and deserve to have their lives taken in return

If only we could bring back to life the people they murdered. Prison is punishment

Its all about choices, as a TI i truly understand this like no other person can, except for other TIs.

The Murder victims don’t get a second chance neither should the murderer.

Long or life prison sentences when someone commits a crime as a teenager is harsh punishment and robbing them of their life. Regardless of the crime!!! We are not the same as we were at 17, 18, 19
People change!!!

70 percent Black! That is by design. Mass incarceration started it 🥲

Mercy on demons? Bring back the innocent dead then we'll talk. Wanna save money? Death penalty

The pain of the families impacted by violent crime can't be overstated. I can't say I'd be glad to see someone that stole the life of my loved one get out of prison because "they've changed". They've changed but I'm still living a nightmare and my loved on isn't coming back. I definitely believe in rehabilitation but my heart aches for these families.

An ex gf and long time friend of mine committed a heinous act and is most certainly facing life in prison. I have been in a state of shock, sadness, anger, and confusion. I feel so bad for her, but at the same time every time I think about it I see the two innocent victims.. and then I get really mad. When I first heard about it I didn't know all of the details and I felt so bad for her, all I wanted to do was cry. But after I heard the details, that sadness turned into rage and confusion. I keep thinking of the memories we had, those are destroyed now. She will have to live with what she did for several decades. But I will also have to carry the fact that I was close friends for twenty years and dated someone for over a year who committed the most horrible crime you could possibly commit. I am now left to pick up all of the shattered pieces.

Family’s of murdered victims don’t get a second chance to ever hug their loved ones … so no, there is no sympathy to these criminals. That’s your punishment and you don’t ever deserve to live a day of freedom

If you are legitimately convicted of murder yes you get life without parole! Doesn't matter how much you might change later on. The person or persons you killed are gone forever.

Being young isn't an excuse for taking a life. You reap what you sow.

Justice ⚖️ 😮

I think the max sentence you should be able to get is 35 years because that’s more than half of your life gone and if you commit another murder it will be highly unlikely you survive another 35 years

Old sick minded people still run our country without mercy 🥺 😪

Just because someone changes doesn’t mean they should be let free. These men took lives those dead people will never have the opportunity to anything. You take a life you get life it’s that simple

Their bigger purpose is to talk to teoubled young folks so they can see what consequences look like

The old man story is very sad instead of waiting to get out he could’ve plan to escape after serving 10 years change his identity looks everything live a different lifestyle 😢

Clearly an agenda behind this...if you want to deter folks from MURDERING YOUR CHILDREN you give the biggest punishment possible. If you murdered my daughter, I could care less about your "redemption arc"

The real solution to this issue is not to let all the murderers loose. - It’s about keeping the nuclear family together, educating all children, reducing teen pregnancies and providing good jobs for men.

66 years omg
What did that accomplish...
🙏You're free in heaven...
Mr. Robinson...
God bless you sir

There are something worst than death.

Their murder victims got a life sentence as a result of one person acting as judge and jury.

These are interviews that young men and women should hear. Sadly, those who worship the thug life would still continue their progress into life sentences.

It’s all fun and games till the judge says life. I feel sorry but in a way. The reminding thought that these guys potentially did something horrible to end up where they are. It sucks even more when they have kids but all I can think about is the stupid choice they made that left their children without them. The line between a free man and life in prison can be split by a single decision. These guys chose wrong and now they face the harsh consequences.

I didn't know that after 40 years of imprisonment you could have such a perfect teeth. Where has he served? In Dentist Ward? Or he got his money for pretending bot knowing a computer and playing a silly? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

If one of these guys killed my wife or my daughter, I would like him to rot in jail.

Now.... lets hear from the mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters of the people these guys killed. People that will never, ever live a day again. People who died extremely violently at the hands of these people who want a second chance at life...but gave their victims no chance.

What I say? Leave it up to the families of the victims. If the person has served more than 20-25 years, has shown in every way, shape and form that theyve totally changed.... the final decision is made by the closest adult living relative of the person they killed. If they want to show mercy, fine. If they dont, in prison you stay. Thats more of a chance than the victim got.

I cried for the last guy Frfr. Rip brotha you did over your time 🤦🏾‍♂️😢

I honestly felt bad for the old school that spent 66 years in there, I can hear the pain in his voice and it hit my heart. I feel bad for the old heads in prison that has to die there. But I also understand what they did was wrong and sometimes people only learn the hard way

They already doing good for society, by being as example what awaits. If you let them out, we gonna have murderer mind, gonna be free at one point. We need man up, sucked up and carry it on as champions.