Prison for Teen Who Lit “Agender” Youth’s Skirt on Fire Thwarts Healing
October 24, 2014 | by Sue Burrell | Huffington Post
When 16-year-old Richard Thomas lit Sasha Fleischman’s skirt on fire on an Oakland, California, bus in 2013, he was acting like a juvenile. Three days after the incident he was charged as an adult, bypassing the juvenile court system altogether. This blog piece by Sue Burrell, staff attorney at the Youth Law Center, discusses the differences between juvenile and adult confinement and questions the fairness and impact of prosecuting juveniles as adults.
When 16-year-old Richard Thomas lit Sasha Fleischman’s skirt on fire on an Oakland, California, bus in 2013, he was acting like a juvenile. Three days after the incident he was charged as an adult, bypassing the juvenile court system altogether. This blog piece by Sue Burrell, staff attorney at the Youth Law Center, discusses the differences between juvenile and adult confinement and questions the fairness and impact of prosecuting juveniles as adults.
To read another blog post by Ms. Burrell, titled “The Legislature’s Role in Juvenile Justice Reform: A California Example,” click here.