Episode Information

In 1991, Texan Jon Buice and a gang of friends beat and murdered a gay man. Buice was 17. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Now, he claims he is reformed: he has taught literacy to inmates and earned three college degrees. In 2011, the parole board voted unanimously to release him, but after an appeal from the victim’s mother, parole was rescinded. This fascinating story explores the complex challenge of balancing punishment with rewarding reformation, and administering justice in the aftermath of the most heinous crimes.