Posted in Criminal Justice

Adult crime, adult time: How Texas fast-tracked kids to life in prison

Before he could vote, before he could drive, before he made it into high school, Miguel Navarro was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Now he’s fighting for a second chance to be seen – in the eyes of the court – as a child.

By Alain Stephens and Hannah McBride, Texas StandardDec. 20, 2016, 12:01 a.m. Central

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Adult crime, adult time: How Texas fast-tracked kids to life in prison

by From our Partners, The Texas Tribune
December 20, 2016

<h1>Adult crime, adult time: How Texas fast-tracked kids to life in prison</h1>
<p class="byline">by From our Partners, The Texas Tribune <br />December 20, 2016</p>
<br />
<figure class="wp-block-audio"><audio controls src="https://www.texastribune.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Adult_Crime_Adult_Time_Full_12182016.mp3"></audio><figcaption>Adult crime, adult time: How Texas fast-tracked kids to life in prison</figcaption></figure>
<p>Before he could vote, before he could drive, before he made it into high school, Miguel Navarro was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Now he&rsquo;s fighting for a second chance to be seen &ndash; in the eyes of the court &ndash; as a child.</p>
<p>Read the full story at <a href="http://www.texasstandard.org/stories/adult-crime-adult-time/">Texas Standard</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Read criminal justice coverage from The Texas Tribune:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Before they can earn their freedom, about 40 female Texas prisoners are piloting a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2016/12/13/new-pre-release-program-emphasizes-prisoner-reflec/">six-month program</a>&nbsp;that focuses on decision-making and life skills.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Texas county jails have seen an almost 60 percent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2016/12/04/suicides-county-jails/">decrease</a>&nbsp;in suicides from last year.</li>
<li>Dads in a maximum-security lockup in Brazoria County&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2016/11/15/At-Day-with-Dad-prison-event-leaping-hugs/">hold on to hope</a>&nbsp;by holding on to their kids.</li>
<li>Could the police-civilian divide be healed with Texas schools teaching&nbsp;how to act when stopped by law enforcement?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2016/10/04/texas-senator-wants-teens-learn-what-do-during-pol/">Lawmakers are exploring the idea</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.texastribune.org/2016/12/20/adult-crime-adult-time-how-texas-fast-tracked-kids/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.texastribune.org&quot;&gt;The Texas Tribune&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/www.texastribune.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/cropped-cropped-texas-tribune-favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;quality=80&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p>
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Adult crime, adult time: How Texas fast-tracked kids to life in prison

From our Partners, The Texas Tribune
December 20, 2016

Before he could vote, before he could drive, before he made it into high school, Miguel Navarro was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Now he’s fighting for a second chance to be seen – in the eyes of the court – as a child.

Read the full story at Texas Standard.

Read criminal justice coverage from The Texas Tribune:

• Before they can earn their freedom, about 40 female Texas prisoners are piloting a six-month program that focuses on decision-making and life skills. 

• Texas county jails have seen an almost 60 percent decrease in suicides from last year.

• Dads in a maximum-security lockup in Brazoria County hold on to hope by holding on to their kids.

• Could the police-civilian divide be healed with Texas schools teaching how to act when stopped by law enforcement? Lawmakers are exploring the idea.

This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.

Tracking snippet:

Before they can earn their freedom, about 40 female Texas prisoners are piloting a six-month program that focuses on decision-making and life skills.
Texas county jails have seen an almost 60 percent decrease in suicides from last year.
Dads in a maximum-security lockup in Brazoria County hold on to hope by holding on to their kids.
Could the police-civilian divide be healed with Texas schools teaching how to act when stopped by law enforcement? Lawmakers are exploring the idea.

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Adult crime, adult time: How Texas fast-tracked kids to life in prison

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