36 Year Sentence at Age 16 - Miles Folsom's Speech to College Presidents

Over a decade ago we met Miles Folsom during his first year in prison. He was 17 at the time and had been sentenced to 36 years in prison at age 16 for robbing and beating up a convicted drug dealer.

Miles (and his cellmate Colt Lundy) were first featured in the Calamari Productions documentary film, Young Kids, Hard Time. After the show aired, we continued to keep in touch with both boys, following their lives and their stories inside prison for nearly a decade.

In December, 2020, after many years of court battles, Miles was finally granted a sentence modification thanks to the hard work and determination of his lawyer, along with a new prosecutor in the county where he was originally sentenced who agreed to review his case. After 12 years behind bars, Miles was transferred to Work Release, and due to covid, was eventually allowed to move to a sober living house with an ankle bracelet. He was officially released and finally fully free in December, 2021.

During his time in prison, Miles did an extraordinary job of focusing on his education. While at Westville Correctional facility, he applied for and was accepted into the Notre Dame/Holy Cross Moreau College Prison Initiative. He quickly thrived in the program, and became the first prisoner in Notre Dame history to have his work published in the Notre Dame Journal of Undergraduate Research. Notre Dame Alumni Magazine also published a story Miles wrote about gaining his education behind bars.

Now free from DOC custody, Miles has continued to concentrate on his education. In May, 2022, he will graduate with a Bachelor's Degree from Holy Cross College / Notre Dame. Now a student on campus, the President of Holy Cross has become a friend and mentor to Miles, recognizing his extraordinary gifts and talents, and his desire to
advocate for more humane practices for youth behind bars, and sentencing reform for juveniles in the system -- specifically, ending the practice of waiving children to adult court.

In February, 2022, the President of Holy Cross College invited Miles to speak at the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities conference in Washington, D.C., which was attended by college president's from across the U.S.

We are now honored to present the video of the presentation Miles gave at that conference, less than two months after he was officially released from DOC custody. We hope it exemplifies the true power of second chances.

If anyone would like to reach out to Miles (or Colt Lundy) please contact them at: investedyouth501@gmail.com