States rethink 'adult time for adult crime'
By Stephanie Chen
A year ago, Maydellyn Lamourt watched her 16-year-old son’s dreams fall apart.
The outgoing sophomore who enjoyed playing sports was charged and sentenced as an adult in Connecticut for third-degree assault.
The crime: He and a friend stole a pack of gum from another teen.
Because he entered the adult penal system, the teen’s prospects of joining the Marines are dim. His troubles have landed him in an alternative high school.
If Lamourt’s son had committed the crime this month, his situation would be different. His record would have been sealed in the juvenile system.
