Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’: What happens to Jamie Miller after the show ends?

The show ends on an uncertain note, with the fourth and final episode focusing on his parents and older sister a few weeks before his trial. During the episode, we hear that Jamie has, in the face of incontrovertible evidence, decided to change his plea to guilty. So, knowing all that we do about his crime, what would happen to Jamie after the show and how might his future look?

His immediate future

Jamie changing his plea to guilty means he will not face a trial, but would instead face a sentencing hearing, likely before a High Court Judge due to the high-profile nature of the case. It’s worth mentioning that up to this point, Jamie’s identity may not have been made public as, under British law, child defendants have a right to anonymity.

However, upon a guilty plea the press would inevitably make an application to the sentencing judge to lift the anonymity order on the grounds of public interest which, if granted, would make him front-page news.

At the sentencing hearing, the judge would consider mitigating and aggravating factors in his case. Mitigating factors would include his young age and guilty plea, as well as any expressed remorse and indications he’s willing to engage in rehabilitation. Aggravating factors would be the violence of the murder, the premeditation of bringing a weapon with the intent of causing serious harm, and of carrying a knife in public. In addition, personal statements from Jamie’s family and teachers would be considered, and victim impact statements read for the court.

All said, Jamie’s total sentence may seem surprisingly lenient to American viewers. For example, in September 2024, two 13-year-old boys were sentenced for murdering a 19-year-old with a machete. After taking into account their age, they were sentenced to a minimum of eight years and six months in custody.

The sentencing guidelines the judge must work within would mean that Jamie would receive a similar sentence. Due to his young age, he would initially be held in youth detention accommodation (likely the facility we see in episode 3) before being transferred to a Young Offenders Institution when he turns 15.

It’s worth underlining that Jamie would receive a minimum sentence, meaning that for him to be released, he would have to make progress on rehabilitation, be a well-behaved inmate, and judged not to be a risk to the public. Considering what we see of him on the show, I think it’s likely he’d meet that criteria, with the parole board releasing him on license (meaning he can be recalled to prison if conditions are breached) at the age of 20 or 21.

The rest of his life

For a broad idea of what Jamie’s adult life after being released might look like, we’ll look at the fates of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, who were just ten years old when they murdered two-year-old James Bulger. They were released on license at the age of 18 and were given new identities similar to those given to people under witness protection. Venables went on to breach the terms of his license and was recalled to prison, while Thompson has effectively vanished.

It’s hard to say whether Jamie would receive the same treatment, though upon release, we’d expect him to change his name and move to a new part of the country, hoping to keep his true identity and criminal history a secret. From then on, it’d a regular low-key life for him, albeit under the cloud of continued low-key press interest and a constant risk of being identified by online vigilantes.