In 1995, Mark and Kai committed the same offense and were sentenced to 53 years in prison. Kai served 24 of those years. Mark will likely serve all 53. Why? Because Kai was 17 and Mark was 18, only six months older than Kai, when they committed the offense. In Washington, people who were sentenced to life without parole when they were under 18 can go before the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board (ISRB) to be considered for release after serving 20 years or more in prison. Called the “Miller-fix,” this law has provided some relief for those serving overly long and life sentences in our state, but it does not factor in new understandings of brain development or what happens when people are released. Research led by Dr. Katherine Beckett, the guest author of our newest blog, shows that the people who were released through a second look process after serving decades behind bars rarely reoffend. They also contribute importantly to their families and communities upon release. Many wor...