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Teenagers behind bars
Unscrupulous U.S. judges are sentencing juvenile offenders to life in prison without the right to parole. This is unprecedented in the world.
Joe Sullivan was 13 years old when he found out he’d be spending the rest of his life in a jail cell. In 1989, he and two friends broke into the home of a 72-year-old woman, from which they stole several valuables. A day later, the gang of outlaws returned to the same location, this time committing the rape of the victim. Sullivan admitted to the burglary, although he asserted that he had no idea that his friends had returned there a day later, much less knew anything about any rape. A Florida judge was not persuaded by the explanation and sentenced the teen to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was then hailed as the youngest offender in the U.S. to receive such a high sentence.
From the courtroom, Sullivan went straight to prison, where he was placed with adults. He spent most of his 42-year life there. Throughout this period, he was beaten several times, became a victim of rape, and finally multiple sclerosis confined him permanently to a wheelchair. And…
