In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that life without parole for juveniles violates the 8th Amendment. It’s cruel and unusual punishment! A child’s brain isn’t as developed as an adult’s when it comes to making decisions.
This has led to change, but sadly some are still pushing back.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is one of those people. 93% of the people sentenced to life without parole as juveniles in her county were Black. Reform advocates thought she might re-sentence some of these cases, but what she did instead is cruel and unnecessary.
Worthy decided to pursue life without parole AGAIN for many of these cases! She’s deciding to go against the Supreme Court, when it’s actually doing what’s right.
And that’s not the only problem with Kym. Her record of being harsh and cruel shows justice is not her main concern.
She refused to release an innocent, wrongfully convicted man. She also charged a little boy with aggravated assault for hitting another child with a ball on the playground! And those are just a few of the things she’s done. But things may change.
Worthy is another incumbent facing a more progressive challenger, who disagrees with how she’s handled juvenile cases and much more.
Victoria Burton-Harris hopes to replace Worthy on August 1st during the primary, but whether she prevails or not, change is SORELY needed.