Meet William Graham
Will with one of the many books he has published while incarcerated
William Graham is serving a 72-year sentence for three robberies he committed shortly after his 19th birthday, a virtual life sentence that would have been unconstitutional if he had been just over a year younger. While these were Will’s first felony convictions, this is not his first time in prison—he was born in one. Because his mother was incarcerated and he never knew his father, Will and his brothers were raised primarily in foster homes, but also spent time in a strict, prison-like orphanage.
While Will lacked the love and support of a present parent, he and his brothers shared a close bond. Tragically, his siblings could not replace the maturity and guidance of an adult parent. When he was 19, Will, his older brother, and two friends were involved in three robberies—actions which he greatly regrets today.
Had Will been just over a year younger, he would not be serving a virtual life sentence. In Graham v. Florida, the Supreme Court prohibited the practice of sentencing adolescents to life imprisonment for non-homicide crimes. The Court’s decision was based on a new body of scientific evidence about teenagers’ decision-making. The research relied on by the Court showed that, because their brains are still developing, teenagers struggle to make good decisions in emotionally-charged situations and while around peers. Because these traits are age-based and fade over time, even adolescents who engage in severe law-breaking have an immense capacity for change and typically desist from criminal behaviors.
Will and close friend Sean Marshall working on a mural in the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center
The Supreme Court also acknowledged that, compared to adults, adolescents have much less “control over their own environment.” Will’s story is a tragic example of this reality. The arc of his childhood was an unsuccessful search for stability and a safe, nurturing environment. Without older adults in his life, it was no wonder that he turned the less-than-perfect role models of older teenage peers.
The neuroscientific facts about teenagers acknowledge by the Supreme Court do not simply vanish when they turn 18. In fact, law-breaking behavior peaks between the ages of 15 and 19. Abundant research shows that the prefrontal cortex continues to evolve until the mid-twenties, meaning that later adolescents have similar decision-making weaknesses as their younger peers. The law has not kept up.
One of Will’s many poems that was published in a prison newsletter
Like so many people who were incarcerated as adolescents, Will bears little resemblance to the impulsive teenager he was at 18. Now, he is a published author, a gifted poet, and a trusted leader and mentor. He was the resident poet for the Denver University Prison Arts Initiative’s podcast With(in). He served for years as an “offender care aide” for other incarcerated men who were sick and dying, and spent time providing comfort to dozens of men in their final moments of life. He has also developed an educational program for late adolescents entering the Department of Corrections, hoping to avoid the pitfalls he experienced as an emerging adult. Will is seeking a sentence reduction with Spero Justice Center’s support, hopeful that he will be granted the opportunity to live a meaningful life in the free world.