23 Search results for "clemency"

This essay contains discussion of sex trafficking, r/pe, and sexual violence against minors.  by Josie Pickens This past week has been especially difficult for Black girls, as we’ve been made to recount and witness so much trauma while maneuvering through public conversations about our collective and personal experiences with sexual, physical, mental and emotional violence. […]

The Tennessee governor’s office has just granted Cyntoia Brown clemency after serving a 15 year prison sentence for killing Johnny Mitchell Allen, who allegedly trafficked her for sex when she was 16 years old.

This Monday, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam announced his office will review sex trafficking survivor Cyntoia Brown’s case and decide whether to grant her clemency before he leaves office.

President Barack Obama has proven to be a stern believer in the idea of second chances in life. This even includes a lucky few convicted felons that he elects to offer clemency – reduced to time served.

For 40 years, Native American activist Leonard Peltier has been serving time for the murder of two FBI agents he’s constantly insisted he didn’t kill. However, a consequence of maintaining his innocence is that he’s been unable to obtain parole, even though many holes have been revealed in the case brought against him – including […]

President Obama has issued clemency to forty-six imprisoned men and women. This brings the total amount of commutations by President Obama to ninety. The president will speak tomorrow about his plans for changes to the criminal justice system tomorrow in an address to the NAACP.

As part of a new initiative, President Obama plans to dramatically increase the number of drug offenders he considers for clemency.  According to White House spokesman Jay Carney, the president has requested that the Justice Department set up a process to ensure that anyone who has a good case for commutation has their application evaluated.

The upcoming November midterm elections poses a unique opportunity for Florida’s 13 million voters to assist in prison reform. After 850,000 Florida voters signed a petition to demand “Amendment 4”, a voting rights restoration bill, be on the November election ballot, Florida may finally allow convicted felons the right to vote without an elaborate clemency application […]

President Trump just announced he is commuting the sentence of 63-year-old Alice Marie Johnson, who has been jailed over 20 years on her first non-violent drug offense, following his Oval Office meeting with Kim Kardashian West. The presidential meeting and pardon received much coverage and criticism online.

Nearing the end of each year, I like to compile a list of upcoming films that look intriguing to me or that I have been anticipating for months, or even years. This year, I tailored my list to be extensive and hella Black, just for y’all. Each of these feature a predominantly Black cast, Black […]

Supporters of Leonard Peltier have been campaigning for his release from prison for decades, dating back to President Clinton’s term. President Obama continues to grant commutations to more than 1,000 people and more can be expected before he leaves office, giving many hope that Peltier may have been on his way out. Unfortunately, despite a personal […]

Barack Obama has already commuted more prison sentences than any other U.S. President. However, he’s not finished doing so with only a few days left in his term. President Obama has commuted the prison sentences of Chelsea Manning and Oscar López Rivera, among more than 200 others.