The U.S. is one of the very few countries in the world that allows children under 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.