The Return

24-year-old Kaylica reads a letter she has written to the judge presiding over the possible release of her father, Kenneth Anderson. After snatching a purse in 1996, Kenneth was sentenced to life under California’s Three Strikes Law, but is now eligible for release.

The attorneys wonder if they are doing enough to help their clients adjust to their new lives. Shane shares some of the challenges of adjusting to life outside of prison, including concerns about having too much freedom. Then Bilal, who lives at a reentry center, works to create a resume and talks about his past experience being released with no support or transitional housing.

Kenneth runs into unexpected obstacles enrolling in a trade school. He also talks about how his kids grew up while he was in prison and now they have babies. He also shares his difficulty re-establishing a bond with his ex-wife (with whom he has been living).

The Return examines an unprecedented reform to California's "Three Strikes" law through the eyes of those on the front lines – prisoners suddenly freed, families turned upside down, reentry providers helping navigate complex transitions, and attorneys and judges wrestling with an untested law.