15 to Life: Kenneth’s Story

Director’s Statement

Our society has become engrossed in crime stories, especially when they involve young people. We watch television series called Killer Kids and have labeled our children “super predators”.  It’s difficult to think about what juvenile justice should look like when the conversation is framed in this way. By focusing on one case, the story of Kenneth Young, I hope that viewers will start to question the many contributing factors that play a role in youth crime. Like so many children who commit serious crimes Kenneth was coopted by an adult, both police and child services failed to protect him, and racial bias impacted the severity of his sentence.

Since Graham v. Florida ruled juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) for youth convicted of crimes less than murder unconstitutional in 2010, some 80 young offenders have been re-sentenced. Those who have been released typically have served significant parts of their sentence and are 40 years or older. Whereas younger inmates have been re-sentenced to multi-decade prison terms, as long as 110 years. In some states these virtual life sentences have been overturned by higher courts, while in other states offenders have been deemed ‘incorrigible’ to skirt the Supreme Court’s more recent ruling Miller v. Alabama, which banned mandatory JLWOP in 2012.

Across the country, courts and legislatures are grappling with how to interpret the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions. The juvenile justice system is at a crossroads. We can continue down a road of retribution or return to the ideal of rehabilitation on which the juvenile justice system was founded. My hope is that Kenneth Young’s voice will add a vital perspective that is often missing from this discussion.