End the Excess: Reduce Michelle Voorhees’s Overly Harsh Sentence
End the Excess: Reduce Michelle Voorhees’s Overly Harsh Sentence
The Issue
In 2013, Michelle Voorhees was sentenced to 24 years in prison for her role as an accessory in a tragic arson case that resulted in an accidental death. She was just 21 years old at the time, and it was her first felony offense.
Her case was prosecuted by Linus Thuston—now disbarred, publicly disgraced, and facing criminal charges. During Michelle’s prosecution, Mr. Thuston engaged in unethical conduct and coercive legal tactics. Despite Michelle’s minimal role, youth, and lack of criminal history, he sought the maximum penalty: six consecutive sentences, far beyond what was just or proportionate.
Now, twelve years into her sentence, Michelle has nothing left to prove behind bars.
She has completed 17 program credit classes, and four vocational programs. She has earned an Associate Degree from Washburn University with a 4.0 GPA.
For the past five years, she has worked as a software developer for the Kansas Department of Corrections—writing code for real-world projects under Kansas Correctional Industries. She has testified three times before the Legislative Committee on Child Welfare, lending her voice and lived experience to push for systemic reform.
Michelle’s story was featured in Throwaway Kids, a Kansas City Star investigative series that exposed the failures of Kansas’s juvenile and child welfare systems—failures that defined her early life.
She has not received a single disciplinary report in nine years.
This is not just a story of punishment—it is a story of growth, contribution, and redemption. Michelle has taken full responsibility for her past and has worked tirelessly to turn her life around. She poses no threat to society. In fact, she is an asset to it.
It is time to correct this injustice. It is time to recognize the difference between punishment and over-punishment. It is time to bring Michelle home.
Please join us in urging Governor Laura Kelly to grant Michelle the second chance she’s more than earned.
Relevant Media Links:
Michelle's YouTube video: Taken into Foster Care
Michelle's YouTube video: State Care of Another Kind
Michelle's Legislative Testimony
Michelle's Story in Kansas City Star: Throw Away Kids
Michelle's Software Development Education
302
The Issue
In 2013, Michelle Voorhees was sentenced to 24 years in prison for her role as an accessory in a tragic arson case that resulted in an accidental death. She was just 21 years old at the time, and it was her first felony offense.
Her case was prosecuted by Linus Thuston—now disbarred, publicly disgraced, and facing criminal charges. During Michelle’s prosecution, Mr. Thuston engaged in unethical conduct and coercive legal tactics. Despite Michelle’s minimal role, youth, and lack of criminal history, he sought the maximum penalty: six consecutive sentences, far beyond what was just or proportionate.
Now, twelve years into her sentence, Michelle has nothing left to prove behind bars.
She has completed 17 program credit classes, and four vocational programs. She has earned an Associate Degree from Washburn University with a 4.0 GPA.
For the past five years, she has worked as a software developer for the Kansas Department of Corrections—writing code for real-world projects under Kansas Correctional Industries. She has testified three times before the Legislative Committee on Child Welfare, lending her voice and lived experience to push for systemic reform.
Michelle’s story was featured in Throwaway Kids, a Kansas City Star investigative series that exposed the failures of Kansas’s juvenile and child welfare systems—failures that defined her early life.
She has not received a single disciplinary report in nine years.
This is not just a story of punishment—it is a story of growth, contribution, and redemption. Michelle has taken full responsibility for her past and has worked tirelessly to turn her life around. She poses no threat to society. In fact, she is an asset to it.
It is time to correct this injustice. It is time to recognize the difference between punishment and over-punishment. It is time to bring Michelle home.
Please join us in urging Governor Laura Kelly to grant Michelle the second chance she’s more than earned.
Relevant Media Links:
Michelle's YouTube video: Taken into Foster Care
Michelle's YouTube video: State Care of Another Kind
Michelle's Legislative Testimony
Michelle's Story in Kansas City Star: Throw Away Kids
Michelle's Software Development Education
302
The Decision Makers
Supporter Voices
Share this petition
Petition created on May 29, 2025