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Part II: 2 Former Juvenile Lifers, Now Paroled, Adjust To A Changed World

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In the parking lot of the Bunker Hill Shopping Mall, Joe Donovan gets a driving lesson from his father, Joe Sr. Joe had never gotten his license before he was incarcerated. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
In the parking lot of the Bunker Hill Shopping Mall, Joe Donovan gets a driving lesson from his father, Joe Sr. Joe had never gotten his license before he was incarcerated. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

We continue our look at the release of so-called juvenile lifers — those are people who were teenagers when they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

After court rulings struck down mandatory life without parole sentences for young people, 11 men have been paroled in Massachusetts over the past two years. We spent time with two of the men. Both are now learning how to navigate a world that has changed dramatically since they first went behind bars.

Greg Diatchenko, now 52, sits in Winthrop Square Park in Harvard Square. When he was 17, Diatchenko was sent to prison for life for fatally stabbing a 55-year-old. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
Greg Diatchenko, now 52, sits in Winthrop Square Park in Harvard Square. When he was 17, Diatchenko was sent to prison for life for fatally stabbing a 55-year-old. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

This segment aired on September 8, 2016.

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Deborah Becker Host/Reporter
Deborah Becker is a senior correspondent and host at WBUR. Her reporting focuses on mental health, criminal justice and education.

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