Karriem Saleem El-Amin of Baltimore is one of the more than 130 prisoners serving life sentences for violent crimes who were released on probation following a landmark ruling by Maryland's highest court. Brandon Chew/NPR hide caption
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Dan Huff rests after a long day's work. He spent much of his life incarcerated in the California prison system. Now, he lives in drug- and alcohol-free transitional housing in Portland, Ore. Beth Nakamura for NPR hide caption
The Lafayette Parish Correctional Center in downtown Lafayette, La. By most counts, Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the country, but sentencing reformers have loosened some of the state's mandatory minimum sentences and made parole slightly easier to get. Denny Culbert for NPR hide caption
Attorney General Eric Holder appearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, in January. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption
Betty Smithey's record. Arizona Dept. of Corrections hide caption