Search About Newsletters Donate
Inside Story · Filed 12:00 p.m.

When Kids Are Punished Like Adults

Louisianans protest temporary youth housing in notorious Angola, and Bryan Stevenson speaks on sentencing reform.

In its premiere, Inside Story travels to Louisiana, where we find a community group protesting the state’s decision to move some youth to Angola, a notorious prison for adults.

Equal Justice Institute lawyer Bryan Stevenson talks with host Lawrence Bartley about juvenile justice reform — and Stevenson learns of a personal impact from his legal victories against life without parole or death sentences for children.

In an animated essay, Ymilul Bates recounts her experience visiting her son for the first time in a county jail when he was 19.

Bartley also shares a brief history of the detrimental “superpredator” term and his thoughts on some challenges young people face behind bars.

Reading list:

CONTRIBUTORS FROM THE MARSHALL PROJECT

Beth Schwartzapfel, Geraldine Sealey, Akiba Solomon, Raghuram Vadarevu, Celina Fang and Marci Suela

REPORTING PARTNERS

NBC News and ProPublica

This is not a paywall.

We’ll never put our work behind a paywall, and we’ll never put a limit on the number of articles you can read. No matter what, you can always turn to The Marshall Project as a source of trustworthy journalism about the criminal justice system.

Our ability to take on big, groundbreaking investigations — the kind that can lead to real impact — doesn’t depend on advertisers or corporate owners. It depends on people like you. Our independence is our strength, and your donation makes us stronger.

Donate