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The U.S. is one of the very few countries in the world that allows
children underĀ 18 to be prosecuted as adults and sentenced to
life without parole. FRONTLINE examines Colorado's juvenile
offender laws and visits those serving life without parole.
The United States is one of the only countries in the world that
allows children under 18 to be prosecuted as adults and sentenced
to life without parole. In Colorado, between 1992 and 2006, 45
juveniles between 15 and 18 were sentenced to prison without the
hope of ever being released. Last spring, the state's
legislature eased its tough laws targeting juvenile
offenders. The state passed a bill that made parole possible
after 40 years in prison, but the measure did not apply
retroactively to the 45 former juveniles now in Colorado's prison
system. Producer Ofra Bikel visits five young men in Colorado
sentenced to life without parole to examine their crimes and
punishment, the laws that sanctioned their convictions and the
prospect of never being free again.