Second Chance Kids
Monday's Four Corners story "Second Chance Kids" is produced by PBS Frontline and looks at US teen criminals sentenced to life in jail.
"How much punishment is enough?" Lawyer
Being tough on crime has become a popular mantra for political parties. Law and order debates are frequently fuelled by tabloid headlines calling for a crackdown on crime. The result is often harsher sentencing. In the United States it's led to thousands of prisoners facing mandatory life sentences for crimes they committed as teenagers.
"A super-predator is a young juvenile criminal who is so impulsive, so remorseless that he can kill, rape, maim without giving it a second thought." Forensic psychologist
Now there's debate over whether these prisoners should be given a second chance at life.
"To say to any child of 13 that you're only fit to die in prison is cruel." US Lawyer
In this compelling documentary, the film makers follow the cases of two of these now adult prisoners who expected to spend their entire lives behind bars."I was a bad kid. I was an angry kid. But I don't think I was so to the point where OK now you're going to be a kid that dies in prison." Prisoner
With exclusive access, the film closely documents their legal bid for freedom following a landmark court case.
"I've changed and I'm not the same individual. But I feel ashamed of what I did." Prisoner
We witness the confrontation between the perpetrators, guilty of murder, and the families of their victims in emotionally charged parole hearings.
"He was my only son and I'll never forgive him, ever!" Victim's mother
As juvenile offenders across the US await their potential re-sentencing, Second Chance Kids asks tough questions about crime and punishment.
"There are some people who should never be released…there are some crimes, in my opinion, that are so deleterious to our community that individuals deserve to go to jail for life." Prosecutor
For the two prisoners, their chance of a new life presents them with the challenge of how to live after decades behind bars.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows
American Dad!
In American Dad!, Stan Smith leads the all-American family in this animated sitcom filled with wild and crazy extremes. Everyday life is taken to the limit as Stan applies the same drastic measures used in his job at the CIA to his home life. Driven by machismo and the American dream, he often is blind to how horribly he fails at his attempts. This father might not know best, but he never stops trying.
Snapped
Who are these women and what drives them to kill? Oxygen's hit true crime series, Snapped, profiles fascinating cases of women accused of murder. Did they really do it? And if they did, why? Whether the motivation is revenge against a cheating husband, the promise of a hefty insurance payoff, or putting an end to years of abuse, the reasons are as varied as the women themselves. From socialites to secretaries, female killers share one thing in common: at some point, they all snapped. Each episode of Snapped chronicles the life of a woman who has been charged with murder. These shocking but true stories turn common assumptions about crime and criminals upside down, and prove that even the most unlikely suspects can be capable of murder.
Dark Matter
Hailed as one of the best sci-fi novels of the decade, Dark Matter is a story about the road not taken. The series follows Jason Dessen, a physicist, professor, and family man who – one night while walking home on the streets of Chicago – is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Wonder quickly turns to nightmare when he tries to return to his reality amid the multiverse of lives he could have lived. In this labyrinth of mind-bending realities, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from the most terrifying, unbeatable foe imaginable: himself.
Murdoch Mysteries
Set in Toronto at the dawn of the 20th century, Murdoch Mysteries is a one-hour drama series that explores the intriguing world of William Murdoch, a methodical and dashing detective who pioneers innovative forensic techniques to solve some of the city's most gruesome murders. Murdoch's colleagues include the love of his life, coroner and psychiatrist Dr. Julia Ogden, a staunch ally who shares the detective's fascination for science; Constable George Crabtree, Murdoch's eager but sometimes naïve right-hand man; Inspector Brackenreid, Murdoch's skeptical yet reluctantly supportive boss; and coroner Dr. Emily Grace, Dr. Ogden's protégé.