Before They Could Dream: An Exploration of Youth Justice and Incarceration in the United States

Before They Could Dream is a seven-episode podcast series that explores the history, lived experiences, and lasting impact of youth incarceration in the United States. The Aspen Institute ’s Forum for Community Solutions (AIFCS), in partnership with the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY) and Green Buzz Agency , set out to tell the story of youth incarceration in the United States from the perspective of six people who were given extreme sentences as children. The series explores each person’s early childhood, the dreams they once imagined, their remorse for choices they made under often dire circumstances, and the consequences that have followed them into adulthood. Each story is grounded in factual, legal, and historical co