Carlee Russell Sentence: Is it Fair?

Carlee Russell had been sentenced to one year in prison and to pay approximately $18,000 in restitution for a kidnapping hoax.

In July, Russell called 911 to report a child walking along an Alabama highway. Officers arrived at the site and found her vehicle. After a 49-hour police search, Russell returned home and claimed she had been abducted. After investigation, authorities found Russell’s web searches: “Do you have to pay for an Amber Alert?” and “How to take money away from a register without being caught.” Authorities also found queries for a bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville.  

Carlee Russell’s kidnapping hoax is not only morally wrong, but it is also detrimental to black women in America. It is rare for the abduction of a Black woman to make national headlines due to society’s disregard for Black women. Russell wasted police resources that should be utilized to help Black women who are missing therefore, the punishment fits the crime. Her actions make it harder for justice to be brought to other women who are missing.