CHERYL BEVERSDORF / AGING MATTERS (podcast)
In the United States, the federal government and every state enforces sentencing laws that incarcerate people for lengths that will exceed, or likely exceed, the span of a person’s natural life. The large number of people serving life sentences raises critical questions about moral, financial, and justice-related consequences that must be addressed by the nation as well as the states. Today, my guests are Celeste Barry, program associate of The Sentencing Project and José Saldaña, director of an organization called Release Aging People in Prison. Celeste is also coauthor of a report called A Matter of Life: The Scope and Impact of Life and Long-Term Imprisonment in the United States. They will describe characteristics of individuals currently serving life sentences in the United States and how their organizations are addressing this concern. They’ll also talk about the Matter of Life report, including recommended solutions, and how they might be implemented.