Reforming Maryland’s cruel treatment of young offenders

WARREN HYNSON’S teenage troublemaking, which began when he dropped out of school at 16, did not last long. Within months he was involved in a burglary in which the householder was shot dead. Mr Hynson was not holding the gun; he himself was shot and badly injured. But when he woke up in hospital he was charged with homicide. That is because Maryland has a “felony-murder” rule that allows people who commit certain crimes to be charged with murder if an accomplice kills someone. It also treats under-18s as if they are adults for some crimes. At 17, Mr Hynson was given a life sentence.