Study: Long Sentences for Juveniles Make Reentry into Society More Difficult
March 10, 2025
Assimilating back into society severs ties made while incarcerated and hinders progress
Juveniles grow up hearing a multitude of adages about life, such as: “True friends are forever,” “Fake it ’til you make it,” and “Change is a good thing.”
However, these adages – and other life advice about behavior in society – are difficult to process for juveniles who were incarcerated at a young age and served long sentences, says J.Z. Bennett, a criminologist at the University of Cincinnati whose research focuses on prison reform.
“Spending decades in prison removes individuals from social structures and sources of informal social control, such as education, employment, marriage and parenting,” he writes in a new study published in the journal Criminology: “Thicker Than Blood: Exploring the Importance of Carceral Bonds for Those Formerly Serving Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentences.”
Dr. J. Z. Bennet
