Life Correction: Marlin Dixon

Marlin Dixon went to prison as a child. Released at age 32, he’s intent on giving his life meaning. Read the full article at jsonline.com.

There was never anything ordinary about Marlin Dixon’s case.

On Sept. 29, 2002, a mob made up mostly of teenagers beat to death 36-year-old Charlie Young Jr. in a crescendo of brutality on the porch of a north side Milwaukee house.

The killing added fuel to a national discussion on whether violent youths were redeemable, and a legal movement to get tougher on criminals.

Dixon, arrested and jailed at age 14, received the stiffest sentence, far harsher than the other participants. He grew into manhood behind bars.

Today, Young’s death remains a watershed moment in our understanding of how children from traumatic, violent circumstances can become a furious mass, forever damaging so many lives. And for Dixon, who is now free, it is a constant shadow as he tries to secure happiness and peace.

This special report is possible thanks to Wellpoint Care Network, the O’Brien Fellowship program at Marquette University’s Diederich College of Communication and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel subscribers.

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