67 Lawmakers Urge Biden To Grant Clemency To People Still In Jail For Cannabis Offenses

On Wednesday, justice reform advocates, formerly incarcerated people and their families as well as the Last Prisoner Project joined Reps. Ayanna Pressley, James E. Clyburn, Mary Gay Scanlon, Ilhan Omar and other congressional leaders to announce their joint letter urging President Biden to grant clemency to non-violent federal cannabis prisoners before his term ends.

"Now is the time to use your clemency authority to rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges," reads the letter. "We urge you to use your executive clemency power to reunite families, address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration."

Reps. Pressley, Clyburn, and Gay Scanlon led the letter signed by a total of 67 Democratic members of Congress.

"You have the support of millions of people across the country who have felt the harms of mass incarceration: young children longing to hug their grandparents, people who have taken responsibility for their mistakes, and those who simply were never given a fair chance. These are the people seeking help that only you can provide through the use of your presidential clemency power," the letter concludes.

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar commented, “While cannabis is now legal in Minnesota and many states across America, thousands remain behind bars in federal prisons for the same substance – a reminder of the work still ahead. President Biden still has time to build on his initial pardons and take decisive action. He can extend clemency to every person still serving time for federal cannabis offenses, many of whom have already spent decades behind bars. In Minnesota, we’ve shown that cannabis legalization and expungement can move hand in hand. Now it’s time for federal action to match this progress.”

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Recent Efforts

This action aligns with Last Prisoner Project's #Countdown4Clemency campaign, which is focusing public pressure on Biden to use his clemency power before the end of his presidency to free those still incarcerated in federal prison for cannabis crimes so they can be reunited with their families. The nonprofit cannabis justice reform organization recently urged the president to #PardonPeopleNotPoultry and end the incarceration of thousands for cannabis offenses now legal in many states.

LPP stressed that Biden has not released a single person still incarcerated for cannabis through commutation. While his categorical pardons provided record relief to thousands of people with cannabis possession convictions, this move alone does not address the estimated 3,000 people still serving time in federal prisons for cannabis offenses.

Read Also: Meet The Man Who Did Prison Time For Non-Violent Cannabis Offense And Now Advocates For Others In The Same Situation

Latino Fathers In Jail

Mitzi Wall, whose son Jonathan Wall is incarcerated on an eight-year federal cannabis charge, said, "Earlier this year I attended the historic pardon action where Maryland Gov. Wes Moore used the pen to right history to grant clemency to more than 175,000 cannabis possession and paraphernalia charges. Yet other Marylanders like my son, Jonathan Wall, who are incarcerated on federal cannabis charges, can only get that type of clemency relief by the president taking the pen."

Jason Ortiz, director of strategic initiatives at Last Prisoner Project, said "There are a heartbreaking number of Latino fathers incarcerated for life or near-life sentences for activity now happening legally across our nation. People like Edwin Rubis who is a father of three and has served 27 years of a 40-year sentence. President Biden has the power to reunite our families but the clock is running out."

Among those still behind bars is Ricardo Ashmeade, who is serving a 22-year sentence due to the three-strikes law championed by then-Senator Biden. His daughter, Richeda Ashmeade, has been separated from her father for 16 years. In addition to Ricardo, individuals like Rafael Hernandez-Carrillo, who is serving a life sentence for a cannabis-related offense, and David Lopez, who has faced years behind bars for court errors on his cannabis charges, exemplify the urgent need for clemency.

Read Next:

• Biden ‘Has Not Freed Anyone In Prison For Cannabis Crime’: Last Prisoner Project Urges President To Deliver On Promise

Photos via Last Prisoner Project