The Scope and Impact of Life and Long Term Imprisonment in the United States

One in six people in prison – nearly 200,000 people nationwide – are serving life sentences, according to a new report by The Sentencing Project. Life imprisonment in the United States has proven to be a deeply flawed crime control method that disproportionately impacts communities of color, particularly Black Americans.

We discussed the latest research on the number of people serving life sentences and heard from a panel of advocates on why it’s past time to end life imprisonment and invest in proven community safety solutions.

Panelists:

• Celeste Barry: Program Associate at The Sentencing Project and co-author of the report, A Matter of Life: The Scope and Impact of Life and Long Term Imprisonment in the United States
• Bill Underwood: Senior Fellow at The Sentencing Project and life sentence survivor
• Jason Hernandez: Executive Director of La Tiendita, The Sentencing Project Board Member and life sentence survivor
• Robert Saleem Holbrook: Executive Director of the Abolitionist Law Center and life sentence survivor

Moderator: Nicole D. Porter, Senior Director of Advocacy at The Sentencing Project