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A Warden's View of Jailing Juveniles for Life

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the death penalty for juveniles this week. But the former death-row inmates will likely spend the rest of their lives behind bars. More than 11 years ago, NPR's Jacki Lyden visited the Michigan State Reformatory, now closed, talking to young people who were sentenced to life for their crimes. The warden was Pam Withrow, who has since retired. Withrow talks about the consequences of jailing juveniles for life.

Copyright 2005 NPR

Longtime listeners recognize Jacki Lyden's voice from her frequent work as a substitute host on NPR. As a journalist who has been with NPR since 1979, Lyden regards herself first and foremost as a storyteller and looks for the distinctive human voice in a huge range of national and international stories.