Last Prisoner Project

Thanks to Governor Kelly, LPP constituent Deshaun Durham was able to spend the holidays where he belongs: at home with his family. 🎥: KSNT TV 

Late last month, Colorado Governor Polis issued 22 pardons and commuted sentences of 4 people, including one man who was sentenced to prison more than 40 years ago after pleading guilty to possessing marijuana concentrate. Since his sentence, Davies has obtained a bachelor's degree and maintained steady employment. In a letter to Davies, Governor Polis wrote, "Many people with criminal histories desire a second chance, and you have earned one ... Importantly, the attitude surrounding marijuana possession has changed immensely since your convictions, which occurred nearly 40 years ago." Governor Polis has issued pardons every year since he took office in 2019. While we applaud the Governor's actions and are overjoyed that Davies will be free of the collateral consequences of his conviction, more needs to be done to help others still living with the impacts of a cannabis conviction. Read more about Governor Polis' clemency actions via The Colorado Sun: https://lnkd.in/e35cZn8i

#FreeAllCannabisPrisoners

LPP's Director of Advocacy Stephanie Shepard served 9 years in federal prison while the legal cannabis industry generated billions of dollars. This injustice needs to end.

Melissa Charran, a young mother from Minnesota, has been released to a halfway house after serving two years in prison for a federal cannabis offense. While incarcerated, Melissa focused on doing everything to ensure she “came out better and stronger than when I went in.” She read and worked out, took an HVAC course, and became certified in suicide companionship. “I missed my 3-year-old son terribly but will try and make up for it with great memories for the time lost,” says Melissa. While no longer behind bars, Melissa is far from fully free. After finishing her time in a halfway house, she will then be on home confinement, followed by a year on federal probation. Melissa is staying optimistic, however, saying she has “endured far worse.” “I am interested in getting involved with advocacy because it really sucked to know from the inside that states are continuing to legalize cannabis and yet there I was in federal prison for the same thing … The industry is booming and I cannot wait to become part of it, knowing all that I went through, it’s personal for me.”

Pickleball is not only sweeping the nation, it’s helping those behind bars relax, connect, and find joy. In 2022, LPP’s Executive Director Sarah Gersten read a news story about Roger Belair, a pickleball coach who was teaching the sport to inmates at Cook County Jail in Chicago. Sarah, an avid pickleball player herself, reached out to learn how she could expand the program in Connecticut. Soon, Pickleball for Incarcerated Communities League (PICL) was created. "Adjusting [to life] here is tough and at first I never thought I would be able to even smile or to laugh again in a place like this,” says Joey Loser, an inmate serving an 8-year sentence for a drug-related offense. “But getting to play pickleball here … takes you out of this place and it brings this joy. It brings the better out of people." Read the full story via ESPN: https://lnkd.in/e8_aDM_W

As 2024 winds down, we're looking back at the big wins and losses in cannabis justice this year. Read a more in-depth breakdown on our blog: https://lnkd.in/enETvMnu

Thank you to all of our supporters. Because of you, we were able to reunite more families in 2024 than ever before. 💚

Welcome home, Joshua! Dr. Joshua Hayes, a chiropractic physician and traditional healer, served two months of an 18-month sentence for possession of cannabis in the state of Ohio. Joshua is a father-of-five and a veteran, having served 6 years in the Army and the Army National Guard. Prior to his arrest, Joshua was working with patients who suffered from cancer, depression, addiction, intractable pain, and neurological disorders. He was also assisting military veterans who were dealing with PTSD and other mental health conditions. During his incarceration, Last Prisoner Project provided Joshua with commissary support as well as a family support grant to help with the care of his children. He also received a reentry grant upon his release. Now free, he says he hopes to “carry on my practice as a healer, continue my advocacy for social change, and serve in the legal cannabis industry.”

Vicki and Harold Thomas were preparing to enjoy retirement when suddenly their worlds were forever changed. After a raid on their home, Harold was arrested and eventually sentenced to 8 years in prison for a cannabis-related offense. Vicki was forced to re-enter the workforce while fighting for the release of her husband. The stress of the situation had a devastating impact on her and her children, both emotionally and financially. “It was too much to even process at the time, to hear the sentence and to see Harold taken away. It was like someone had died. I felt like we were in mourning for 8 years.” Read Vicki’s full interview and learn how she was supported by Last Prisoner Project on our blog: https://lnkd.in/e4D9hsri