Facing Life: the project showing the cracks in California’s incarceration system

A documentary follows the paths of eight people who served decades of their life sentences behind bars, only to be released with no resources

Imagine being one of the more than 200,000 people in America sentenced to life in prison. And then, after decades behind bars, laws are changed, your sentence is shortened, and the parole board approves of your release. You become tasked with reentering society, finding stable housing, employment and a healthy social life.

These are things that everyone seeks, formerly incarcerated or not. But for people who've spent time behind bars, and more specifically the people who were serving life sentences - the lifers - these challenges can be insurmountable.