The Sunday Story: American parole and one man's case for freedom

How much time in prison is enough for a brutal crime? And how do we decide when a prisoner is rehabilitated and deserves to be free?<br><br>In 2016, after 30 years of incarceration and seven hearings before an Arizona parole board, Jacob Wideman was finally released from prison. Within months, after a minor violation, Wideman's parole was revoked and he was again put behind bars.<br><br>In this episode of <em>The Sunday Story</em> from <em>Up First</em>, we speak to journalist Beth Schwartzapfel about her new podcast <em>Violation</em> from WBUR and The Marshall Project. Schwartzapfel spent years reporting on Wideman's case and the questions it raises about punishment, forgiveness and the American parole system.<br><br><a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1161446294/violation"><em>Violation</em></a><em> </em>is a new podcast by<em> </em>WBUR and The Marshall Project. For more information about Jake's case, including additional documents, photos, and related stories, go to <a href="https://www.themarshallproject.org/violation">themarshallproject.org/violation</a> and <a href="https://www.wbur.org/podcasts/violation">WBUR.org/violation</a>.