Last Prisoner Project

Another cannabis prisoner is nearly home 💚 We are happy to share that LPP constituent Robert "Bobby" Capelli has been released to a reentry facility after serving more than 4 years of his 95-month sentence. Bobby was sentenced in 2019 to nearly 8 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 1000 kg or more of cannabis. Despite the state of Connecticut legalizing adult-use just two years later, Bobby remained incarcerated until this month. As an LPP constituent, we provided Bobby with pro-bono legal representation through the Cannabis Justice Initiative (our partnership with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) as well as commissary funding and letters of support. “Losing years of my life in prison for a cannabis conviction was cruel, unjust and unbearable. The pain of subjecting my life in a cage for years on end seemed like an impossible task but the Last Prisoner Project picked me up when I was down. Between [LPP Managing Director] Mary Bailey, [law firm] Goodwin Procter, [criminal defense attorney] Liz Budnitz, the commissary assistance and all the letters of support from the LPP subscribers I was able to make it back home to my beautiful wife Bianca. Thank you for everything LPP!!!” — Bobby Capelli Read more about Bobby's story on our blog: https://lnkd.in/eCspJ4uT

We are proud to release our 2023 annual report, detailing all the work we’ve accomplished over the course of the last year. In our fourth year of operations, we’ve continued to scale our core programs and hit key milestones, like the representation of over 240 individuals through our legal and constituent support programs and the deployment of over $2.5 million through our reentry and commissary grant funds. We are on the precipice of the most significant shift in cannabis policy in our nation’s history and the work of LPP is more needed than ever. Thank you to all who enable us to achieve our mission, and know that we will not stop until the last cannabis prisoner is truly free. Read our full 2023 annual report here: https://lnkd.in/e2g2D8Yu

Rapper Wiz Khalifa has apologized after being arrested in Romania for drug possession. While performing this weekend at the Beach Please! Festival, he was captured on video smoking cannabis on stage. It is currently illegal to consume and possess cannabis in Romania as the country still considers it a “high-risk drug.” Thankfully, Wiz was released and will not face criminal charges. Wiz posted on X: “Last night’s show was amazing. I didn’t mean any disrespect to the country of Romania by lighting up on stage. They were very respectful and let me go. I’ll be back soon. But without a big a– joint next time.” While we are relieved to hear that Wiz was let go, had he been convicted he would have faced up to 10 years in prison for a completely victimless act. We hope that celebrities like Wiz Khalifa and Nicki Minaj (who was detained in the Netherlands for cannabis in May) will take these experiences to heart and use their platforms to advocate for the tens of thousands of people who are incarcerated for the exact same thing in the U.S. Read more: https://lnkd.in/evFk6p5S

We are honored to have been named to the Clean Slate Task Force in Hawai’i, which will work to implement the first-ever state-initiated record clearance program in the state’s history. Thousands of Hawai’i residents carry a criminal record for cannabis possession even though they are eligible to have it expunged. We hope that this bill will serve as a foundation for broader record relief moving forward. Thank you to Rep. David Tarnas and all the representatives and partner organizations who helped make this possible. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eD_rG7XG

Chance and injustice brought Donte West and Kyle Page together. Both incarcerated for victimless cannabis-related offenses in Kansas, Donte made it his mission to not only free himself—but bring Kyle home as well. Now, they’re working together at Last Prisoner Project to free Antonio Wyatt, Deshaun Durham, and all those still behind bars for victimless cannabis offenses in Kansas and beyond. #FreeAllCannabisPrisoners #FreeAntonioWyatt #FreeDeshaunDurham https://lnkd.in/eHMP5izs

After completing a 10-year sentence for cannabis in 2019, LPP’s Director of Advocacy Stephanie Shepard was still not free. She’d spend the next 5 years on probation, having her every move supervised and monitored. But on June 4, 2024, her probation period finally ended and she knew exactly how she planned to spend her “Freedom Day” — making her first legal cannabis purchase. “As I reclaim my freedom and embrace this new chapter in my life, I realize that I am not defined by my years in prison but by the resilience, perseverance, and unwavering belief that we are headed in the direction to right the wrongs done by cannabis prohibition and I am finally free to fully engage.” Read Stephanie’s full story on our blog: https://lnkd.in/eDVuZ9Wu

Thank you to Josh Kesselman of RAW for helping us change lives and #FreeAllCannabisPrisoners! 💚🙏

LPP constituent David Lopez is a 64-year-old father of three. In 2017, David was sentenced to 293 months (over 24 years) in prison, 10 years of supervised release, and a $50,000 fine for victimless cannabis-related offenses. David's extreme sentence was influenced by a major error in his case. The prosecutor referenced a state conviction from 20 years prior, falsely claiming David had been charged with possession of 1,000 kilograms of cannabis. In truth, the conviction was only for 35 grams. David's attorney did not contest this incorrect information, leading to an unjustly harsh sentence. In 2023, the court recognized this mistake but kept his original sentence. Had the accurate information been presented initially, his sentence would likely have been much shorter, potentially around 5 years. Despite David’s exemplary behavior in prison (he has earned nine letters of support from Bureau of Prisons Correctional staff), he remains incarcerated. We are asking our followers to join the #FreeDavidLopez movement, urging President Biden to grant David clemency and finally reunite him with his family. Take action here: https://lnkd.in/eGZURkdN National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

The #PenToRightHistory is changing lives, helping to free thousands of cannabis prisoners across the country. Tag your governor and tell them to join the movement. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/etyEJ8nA

Thank you to the wonderful Jason Ortiz for joining us for the second time at our federal cannabis policy crash course! Jason is the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Last Prisoner Project. Jason was arrested for simple cannabis possession at the age of 16 in Norwich CT, and that experience inspired him to become a cannabis justice advocate. He was one of the founding board Members of the Minority Cannabis Business Association and is the immediate past Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. In addition to his drug policy activism, Jason sits on the board of the CT Working Families Party and has served as President of the Connecticut Puerto Rican Agenda where he organized for economic justice for his home island of Puerto Rico. Most recently, Jason is well known for his leadership of the 420 Unity Coalition. Come see him speak this Saturday! https://lnkd.in/eBwKteT8