PETITIONS
MS- Evelyn Smith; 32 Years in Prison-https://www.change.org/p/release-80-year-old-aging-evelyn-smith-mamae-from-ms-mdoc-cmcf-prison-now?redirect=false
NB-Ed Poindexter; 42 Years in Prison-https://www.change.org/p/nebraska-board-of-pardons-free-ed-poindexter-from-prison-now (died in prison December 7, 2023)
FL-Michael B. Edwards; 27 Years in Prison-https://www.change.org/p/florida-clemency-board-give-michael-edwards-his-life-back
MD-Kenny Collins; 33 Years in Prison-https://www.thepetitionsite.com/990/321/719/free-kenny-collins-an-innocent-man-imprisoned-for-30-years/
NY- Michelle West-https://www.change.org/p/president-biden-clemency-for-michelle-west-serving-life-without-parole?redirect=false
PA-Carl Sheldon Daniels; 32 Years in Prison-https://www.change.org/su/p/prison-lifer-s-before-and-after-free-the-sincere-one-carl-sheldon-daniels/f
GA-CIVIL RIGHTS ICON -H. Rap Brown/Imam Jamil Al-Amin; 23 Years in Prison-https://www.change.org/p/fulton-county-district-attorney-paul-howard-new-trial-for-imam-jamil-al-amin-fka-h-rap-brown, https://whathappened2rap.com/ https://www.imamjamilactionnetwork.org/
MI- Horrace Peterson; 48 Years in Prison- https://www.change.org/p/gretchen-whitmer-free-horace-peterson-michigan-man-serves-life-in-prison-for-murder-he-didn-t-commit
MS-Mark Sumrell; 17 Years in Prison-https://www.change.org/p/kroger-kroger-should-support-clemency-for-mark-sumrell?redirect=false ---- https://theappeal.org/as-decriminalization-drives-reforms-for-marijuana-convictions-activists-see-others-serving-time-left-behind/
DE-527 YEARS-https://www.change.org/p/governor-carney-life-plus-527-years-sentence-the-unjustified-senten?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=custom_url&recruited_by_id=eca63af0-b428-11ea-9b00-8df35aa4f6f7
VA-Terrence Richardson and Ferrone Claiborne Have Been Wrongfully Incarcerated For 20+ Years-https://www.change.org/p/sussex-county-commonwealth-attorney-terrence-richardson-and-ferrone-claiborne-have-been-wrongfully-incarcerated-for-20-years-801c7893.
NEWS
NB- Ed Poindexter, who spent a half-century in prison for a crime many say he didn’t commit, died Thursday. December 8, 2023
Iman Jamil Al-Amin aka H. Rap Brown (Civil Rights Icon; Incarcerated 2000-Present) -New podcast revisits the conviction of Jamil Al-Amin. December 5, 2023.
The Marshall Project -Elderly in Prison
AL-Rocky is on death row for murder - he's spent 30 years pleading his innocence. November 8, 2023.
OH-After nearly 40 years behind bars in Ohio, DNA testing is finally underway. November 9, 2023.
IL-Clemency granted for Illinois man serving life for drug conviction under ‘three-strikes’ law. November 3, 2023.
AR-Gov. Sanders denies clemency to Charlie Vaughn, an innocent man who’s been in prison for decades. November 3, 2023.
US-United Nations’ Reports Note ‘Systemic Racism’ in U.S. Legal System-United Nations’ Reports Note ‘Systemic Racism’ in U.S. Legal System | Davis Vanguard. October 7, 2023.
TX-Man convicted for murder of Irish priest is exonerated after 40 years-Man Convicted for Murder of Irish Priest Is Exonerated After 40 Years (extra.ie). October 6, 2023.
US-UN Calls for Reform of US Justice System to Combat Systemic Racism-UN Calls for Reform of US Justice System to Combat Systemic Racism (voanews.com). October 5, 2023.
NC-Expanded prison medical release eligibility provides opportunity for more sick, aging incarcerated people to go home before they die-More people eligible for medical release from NC prisons | NC Health News (northcarolinahealthnews.org). October 2, 2023.
US-The United Nations Calls Out "Racist" US Criminal Justice System-The United Nations Calls Out "Racist" US Criminal Justice System (yahoo.com). September 29, 2023.
CA-Nearly 30 Years After Falsely Confessing To Rape, Robbery, California Man Is Finally Exonerated-Gerardo Cabanillas Exonerated of Rape after 28 Years | Crime News (oxygen.com). September 28, 2023.
MA-Is Massachusetts’ prison population aging as fast as national rates?-https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/is-massachusetts-prison-population-aging-as-fast-as-national-rates/ar-AA1f56cS
FED-I’ve Reported on Dementia for Years, and One Image of a Prisoner Keeps Haunting Me-https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/11/opinion/dementia-prisons.html. August 11, 2023.
FED-Census Bureau and Reform Group Note Dramatic Rise in Older Americans Behind Bars-https://www.davisvanguard.org/2023/08/154321/. August 7, 2023.
FL-Geriatric Jailbirds: Florida's Elderly Inmate Population Has Skyrocketed-https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/floridas-elderly-prison-population-has-skyrocketed-17543669. August 4, 2023.
LA-They Know What They Did. They’d Like You to Know Who They’ve Become; These men have spent their entire adult life in prison. How much punishment is enough?--https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000008913839/louisiana-angola-prison.html. August 1, 2023.
VA-Marsha Garst Talks Public Defenders, Drug Court With Valley Justice Coalition-https://www.dnronline.com/news/marsha-garst-talks-public-defenders-drug-court-with-valley-justice-coalition/article_30306963-f565-5ca3-a477-50db40f31a62.html. June 5, 2023
VA-Guest Post by Debra Turner: We Need a Local Public Defender’s Office-http://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2023/06/guest-post-by-debra-turner-we-need.html. June 2, 2023.
International/Zimbabwe-Zimbabwe releases prisoners in amnesty, reducing overcrowding. https://www.morningsun.net/stories/zimbabwe-releases-prisoners-in-amnesty-reducing-overcrowding,66806. May 20, 2023.
National- In 2022, exonerations hit a record high in the U.S. Globally, potential innocence has long outweighed potential guilt. That philosophy of justice may not be one that the majority of Americans endorse. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/05/20/wrongful-conviction-exoneration-2022-record-kim-foxx. May 20, 2023.
NY-DYING BEHIND BARS: ANOTHER FORM OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Prisons are ill-equipped to handle their aging population, which has tripled in the past two decades. https://theappeal.org/aging-prison-healthcare-death-by-incarceration/. May 4, 2023.
FED-Red Cross Expresses Alarm Over Detainee Health at Guantánamo Bay; As the prisoners age, their physical and mental health needs are increasingly challenging, the leader of a visiting delegation said-https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/21/us/politics/red-cross-gitmo-health.html. April 23, 2023.
FED-Guantanamo Bay prisoners show signs of ‘accelerated ageing’: ICRC-https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/22/guantanamo-bay-prisoners-show-signs-of-accelerated-ageing-icrc. April 22, 2023.
CROSLEY GREEN- Crosley Green's Hard Times-https://www.cbsnews.com/video/crosley-greens-hard-time-1/
CROSLEY GREEN-Crosley Green's final hours of freedom-https://www.cbsnews.com/news/crosley-greens-final-hours-of-freedom/. April 21, 2023.
FED-Do long prison sentences prevent crime? New study questions conventional wisdom-https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20230407/do-long-prison-sentences-prevent-crime-new-study-questions-conventional-wisdom. April 7, 2023.
IN- House bill looks to modify sentence for elderly, seriously ill prisoners-https://www.wishtv.com/news/politics/house-bill-looks-to-modify-sentence-for-elderly-seriously-ill-prisoners/. April 6, 2023.
IN-U.S. panel votes to expand compassionate release for prisoners-https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-panel-consider-expanding-compassionate-release-prisoners-2023-04-05/. April 6, 2023.
MI-Aging in Prison: A look at nation's oldest inmate population https://www.record-eagle.com/news/local_news/aging-in-prison-a-look-at-nations-oldest-inmate-population/article_03d25f86-b9e1-11ed-8b07-afbd22733589.html. April 2, 2023.
FL-FL-Emotional moment tearful mother hugs her son, 57, as he is exonerated and freed 34 years into a 400-year prison sentence after Florida state reinvestigated the armed robbery he was convicted of-https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11862913/Moment-tearful-mother-hugs-son-57-finally-freed-34-years-400-year-prison-sentence.html- March 22, 2023.
OR-Oregon’s Prison Population Is Aging, Fast-https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2023/03/16/oregons-prison-population-is-aging-fast/. March 16, 2023.
NY-Man Exonerated 33 Years After Bed Stuy Murder He Didn't Commit: DA-https://patch.com/new-york/bed-stuy/man-exonerated-33-years-after-bed-stuy-murder-he-didnt-commit-da. March 16, 2023.
CA-California Sought the Death Penalty – 38 Years Later, the Defendant is Exonerated-https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/california-sought-the-death-penalty-38-years-later-the-defendant-is-exonerated. March 7, 2023.
AL-Alabama prisons won’t release elderly and ailing: ‘I sure did think I would die in there’-https://www.al.com/news/2023/02/i-sure-did-think-i-would-die-in-there-alabama-prisons-crowded-with-elderly-and-ailing.html. February 21, 2023.
FED-Sentencing Commission considers what would qualify inmates for compassionate release-https://www.wsiu.org/2023-02-23/sentencing-commission-considers-what-would-qualify-inmates-for-compassionate-release. February 23, 2023.
FL-The War on Drugs Persisist for Older Incarcerated People in Florida; Leftover policies from the war on drugs and privatized prison health care companies are keeping older people in prison with poor access to necessary care-https://prismreports.org/2023/02/22/war-on-drugs-older-incarcerated-people-florida/. February 22, 2023.
MD-Former Maryland Death Row Prisoner Exonerated After 40 Years-https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/former-death-row-inmate-in-maryland-exonerated-after-40-years. February 9, 2023.
CA-Opinion: Elderly Prisoners Who Have Changed Shouldn’t Be Left to Die in Jail-https://timesofsandiego.com/opinion/2023/02/09/elderly-prisoners-who-have-changed-shouldnt-be-left-to-die-in-jail/. February 9, 2023.
MD-Supporters push for reform of Maryland’s medical, geriatric parole system-https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/02/09/supporters-push-for-reform-of-marylands-medical-geriatric-parole-system/. February 9, 2023.
CA-What a 74-year-old’s death in prison says about California’s elderly parole program-https://calmatters.org/commentary/2023/02/elderly-parole-prison-criminal-justice/. February 9, 2023.
LA (Boast Laster)-The Perplexing Case of Florida's Longest-Serving Inmate | Part 1: No Way Out-https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/boast-laster-florida-longest-serving-prison-inmate-innocent-rape-16273990.February 8, 2023.
Leonard Peltier-Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier in plea for clemency after 47 years in jail-https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/06/leonard-peltier-interview-prison-48-years. February 6, 2023.
VA-Bill to limit early release for elderly prisoners passes Virginia House gatekeepers-https://richmond.com/news/state-and-regional/bill-to-limit-early-release-for-elderly-prisoners-passes-house-gatekeepers/article_c70e5440-a308-11ed-9429-e39bb3dc428c.html. February 2, 2023.
OR-In Oregon’s Prisons, Terminally Ill People Are Left with Little Recourse-https://www.portlandmercury.com/news/2023/02/01/46329589/in-oregons-prisons-terminally-ill-people-are-left-with-little-recourse. February 1, 2023.
MD-Maryland among the ‘worst’ states for releasing aging or sick prisoners. Is reform coming?-https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/criminal-justice/compassionate-release-maryland-GWHUHTCF45AWPOENEITOPUAOEQ/. January 30, 2023.
KS-Prisoner who maintained innocence in KCK murder and sued over treatment dies of cancer- https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article271652547.html#storylink=cpy. February 26, 2023
HI-Ian Schweitzer Exonerated of Murder After 25 Years in Hawaii-https://innocenceproject.org/ian-schweitzers-exonerated-murder-25-years-hawaii/-January 24, 2023.
NY- The People Left Behind: Advocates renew push to pass parole reform- https://queenseagle.com/all/2023/1/24/the-people-left-behind-advocates-renew-push-to-pass-parole-reform. January 24, 2023.
Fed-Federal Inmates Suffering From Unconstitutional Medical Neglect Could Get Relief Under Rule Change-https://reason.com/2023/01/23/federal-inmates-suffering-from-unconstitutional-medical-neglect-could-get-relief-under-rule-change/. January 23, 2023.
