One out of every ten prisoners in the United States is serving a life
sentence--roughly 130,000 people. While some have been sentenced to life
in prison without parole, the majority of prisoners serving 'life' will
be released back into society. But what becomes of those people who
reenter the everyday world after serving life in prison?
In After Life Imprisonment, Marieke Liem carefully examines the
experiences of "lifers" upon release. Through interviews with over sixty
homicide offenders sentenced to life but granted parole, Liem tracks
those able to build a new life on the outside and those who were
re-incarcerated. The interviews reveal prisoners' reflections on being
sentenced to life, as well as the challenges of employment, housing, and
interpersonal relationships upon release. Liem explores the increase in
handing out of life sentences, and specifically provides a basis for
discussions of the goals, costs, and effects of long-term imprisonment,
ultimately unpacking public policy and discourse surrounding long-term
incarceration. A profound criminological examination, After Life
Imprisonment reveals the untold, lived experiences of prisoners before
and after their life sentences.