Hakim Crampton on Michigan ruling life without parole for 18-year-olds “unconstitutional”

“Hakim Crampton [Leading with Conviction™ 2018] was behind bars, before he even learned how to drive.

“‘I was prosecuted as an 11-year-old child and I was incarcerated,’ he told News 10.

“Crampton said he was throwing rocks at recess and hit his teacher; it was not the last time he’d end up in the courtroom.

“‘By the time I was 18, I was convicted for a wrongful murder conviction in the state of Wisconsin,’ he said. ‘I was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Fortunately, I had the support of the Wisconsin Innocence Project that fought for my release.’

“A lot has changed since then, and Crampton said the same could be true for someone who did commit a crime at the age of 18.

“‘Without giving young people a real chance, an opportunity to grow up, we’re condemning them at a time in their lives where they’re really developing,’ he said.

“Now, some of them might get that chance. A new Michigan Supreme Court rule says people facing life in prison without parole for a crime they committed when they were 18 can be resentenced.

“The court ruled on April 1 that life without parole for an 18-year-old is unconstitutional, based on several previous court cases. …

“‘I want families to really be thinking about that,’ he said. ‘These are children who have committed these offenses, and we really need to be thinking about how we really support children in developing appropriately?’

“There are currently more than 250 cases in Michigan that have the potential to be resentenced.”

Read the full story at WILX.com.