Why Young Girls Die Behind Bars

16 year-old Gynnya McMillen died after just one night.

n January 10, 2016, 16 year-old Gynnya McMillen, was living in a group home in Hardin County, Kentucky, following the death of her father in 2014. She was moving toward being reunited with her mother, with whom she had what has been described as a “strained” relationship. She was on a home visit when her mother called 911, claiming that Gynnya had hit her. Gynnya denied it. When the police responded, they arrested Gynnya. Instead of taking her back to the group home where she was living, they took her to a juvenile detention facility. There, she was assaulted by officers who used a martial arts restraint to force her to remove her hoodie. The staff then neglected to check on her every 15 minutes as required by the rules, instead falsifying over 60 reports. Gynnya was found dead the next morning. [READ MORE]