POV: 15 to Life - Kenneth's Story

[PhantomOnTour]

Aired Tues night on PBS about a young man in Florida who committed 4 armed robberies at age 14 and was sentenced to 4 consecutive life terms.

The US Supreme Court has since ruled that kids are different and must be given a second chance....so what do you think is a fair sentence for Kenneth?
At the time of filming he had served 11yrs, and was in the process of being re-sentenced to something less than life.

I will spare you the direct and indirect circumstances, and just say that he admitted to his role in the robberies and takes full responsibility.

What would you give him?
free him now?
10yrs?-20?-30?-40?

[johnhannibalsmith]

Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour

Aired Tues night on PBS about a young man in Florida who committed 4 armed robberies at age 14 and was sentenced to 4 consecutive life terms.

The US Supreme Court has since ruled that kids are different and must be given a second chance....so what do you think is a fair sentence for Kenneth?
At the time of filming he had served 11yrs, and was in the process of being re-sentenced to something less than life.

I will spare you the direct and indirect circumstances, and just say that he admitted to his role in the robberies and takes full responsibility.

What would you give him?
free him now?
10yrs?-20?-30?-40?

I'd like to know more about Kenneth before making a decision like that.

His background, family, mental acuity, etc.

But off the bat I don't like the sound of someone only a year into his teen years summarily determined to be a lost cause.

[PhantomOnTour]

Okay, here's some info about Kenneth (and it's nothing unique):

>poor kid, very poor
>mom a drug addict who was gone for long amounts of time
>no father in his life
>sister was already a mother at age 15 and Kenneth often watched the child while she worked (and mom was absent)
>committed all the crimes with a 24yr old
>accomplice had a gun - Kenneth did not
>his main role was recon, lookout, money grabber (but he did rough up some female victims)

He has been a model prisoner (whatever that is) for 11yrs and gotten his GED.

[Tom]

40 years sounds good.
You list a lot of things that really have nothing to do with the fact that he pointed a gun at four different people.

What list can you make about them?

He has been a model prisoner - leave it that way.
He gave his rights to freedom the first time he pointed a gun.
Thee more times, sucks to be him.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Originally Posted by Tom

...
You list a lot of things that really have nothing to do with the fact that he pointed a gun at four different people...

Well, except that one of those things that he listed explicitly stated that he was NOT armed.

I don't like zero tolerance policies, mandatory sentencing, dopey three strikes laws, or anything that removes discretion and common sense from people when the goal is justice.

In this case, if the facts as presented are accurate, then I'd vote for release almost as soon as possible.

In the context of the environment that I grew up, I did some of the stupidest things consistent with dumb kids. In his environment, he did the same. The things that I did then, I did because I was a dumb kid that simply did not appreciate the full effect of actions. I'm surely glad that my stupidity was confined to a life that did have parents and stability and consequences and help and guidance and all the things that help a young person learn from mistakes.

From the sounds of it, he's the 1% that may have actually been rehabilitated - probably in part because of the fact that he was simply immature and grew up and realized he was just a dumb kid.

He's been behind bars for years and years, he lost his childhood, but probably spared his future. He sounds like he has tried to redeem himself.

Good luck Kenneth, spread the word on the outside to kids that are just like you were and headed down the path.

[TJDave]

I watched the program. I won't give it away but I can't say I disagree with the resentencing.

[PhantomOnTour]

Originally Posted by TJDave

I watched the program. I won't give it away but I can't say I disagree with the resentencing.

I think the Judge handed down a just sentence, and I can't disagree with his decision either.

[Tom]

Well, except that one of those things that he listed explicitly stated that he was NOT armed.

Hitler didn't lite the ovens either.
He and his accomplish are interchangeable.
Leaving him in prison spreads a better word - you play, you pay.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour

Aired Tues night on PBS about a young man in Florida who committed 4 armed robberies at age 14 and was sentenced to 4 consecutive life terms.

The US Supreme Court has since ruled that kids are different and must be given a second chance....so what do you think is a fair sentence for Kenneth?
At the time of filming he had served 11yrs, and was in the process of being re-sentenced to something less than life.

I will spare you the direct and indirect circumstances, and just say that he admitted to his role in the robberies and takes full responsibility.

What would you give him?
free him now?
10yrs?-20?-30?-40?

I don't know.

He's an unfortunate victim of his adverse environment. He would have had to be an incredible, incredible individual to have left home at age 12-14 or whenever he began to be heavily brought into that lifestyle by his family.

I just don't realistically see a way for him to go back into society after living that lifestyle for a few years, and then being incarcerated for another 15? years.

I don't have a good answer for this question.

[nijinski]

I saw this on PBS and had mixed feelings . It's a sad life from beginning
to now .
The problem I see is coming out to no employment so he faces a tough
road ahead .
How do you give a guy like this a supervised structured life back on the
streets .
I almost want to see it happen but is our system prepared to do right by
him and the public ?
Tough call .

[Dahoss2002]

Originally Posted by TJDave

I watched the program. I won't give it away but I can't say I disagree with the resentencing.

All things considered, hard but fair. Like he said himself, at least there is some light at the end of the tunnel now.

[Tom]

Oh come on.....millions of people come from the same environment and do NOT go robbing people at gunpoint.

This guy is not worth saving - worry about the 99% who did not make the choice he made.

Using a gun in a crime one time should be mandatory life.

[PhantomOnTour]

Kenneth Young was re-sentenced to four concurrent 30yr terms, which means he will be out around 2030.

Sounds about right to me - he and his accomplice terrorized some young ladies during these crimes and that cannot be excused.

[thaskalos]

How old is Kenneth now?

[PhantomOnTour]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

How old is Kenneth now?

He was approx. 26yrs old when this was filmed, so I would guess him to be 27-28 now.