Analysis Of The Documentary When Kids Get Life By Ofra Bikel

In the documentary “When Kids Get Life” by Ofra Bikel we see five men who were sentenced to life in prison for committing crimes in their teens. We hear the stories of how it happened, why it happened, and what life is like for them today. This documentary sheds light on the battle that juveniles face when they commit crimes and the judicial system.
This documentary relates heavily in the material we learn because although it is about teenagers who receive life in prison, the judicial system plays a key role. It plays a key role because the fate of these once teenagers’ lives, was in the hands of a jury and a judge. Many people find this way of punishment unfair. How can you sentence someone who is just entering middle school to life in prison?

For example, we meet Erik Jenson. Erik had been friends with Nathan for some time when he had noticed odd behavior. Nathan had an odd relationship with his mother, that turned out to be sexual abuse. After time passes and help going unnoticed, Nathan snapped. On June 5th, 1998, Erik dropped Nathan off at his home. While waiting for Nathan in the other room, Erik heard the murder happen. He was shocked and did not have time to react or stop it. After the murder, Erik and a friend Brett helped Nathan clean up the crime scene. Now what got Erik life in prison, was the “confession” of Brett. Claiming that Erik also helped with the murder, he was then arrested on murder charges also. Where the courts come into play is when Erik got to his trial. During Erik’s trial the Columbine shooting happened. In the same town, with another white teen whose name was also Eric. This gave him an unfair trial because of the media surrounding the shootings. Some might argue today, that if Erik had a fair trial he, might not be found guilty or have a lesser sentence. The perpetrator, Nathan, even said himself that there is no reason for Erik

One of the main things that I liked about this documentary is how we got to hear the criminal’s side of the story. Many times, all we hear is about the gruesome acts of teens who kill. Media often paints teens who kill to be monster who do things out of rage and hatefulness. Frontline gave the background story and knowledge to its viewers. We get to hear the stories that made these teens commit horrible crime and how they feel about it today. Most of the teens in this documentary faced abuse such as mental, physical, and sexual abuse. Though what these teens did was horrific, it was understandable. Many of these kids were pushed past their breaking point, causing them to snap. This documentary shows that most of these teens did not kill out of cold blood, but out of fear. In fact, 59% of juveniles who receive life without parole the crime they committed was their first crime ever (Second Chance 4 Youth, 2016). Another thing I liked about this documentary is it exposes the judicial system. Nathan’s trial lasted three days, in these three days his defense attorney called no witnesses. With this, Nathans voice was silenced giving him no chance to tell his side of the story and what was happening behind closed doors. This sheds light on the courts because it makes you wonder if they want justice, or do they want to do what “looks good” and guarantee him life in prison. These are some things that I liked about the