Washington, DC (June 3, 2016) – In his third set of clemency grants in just over two months, President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 42 prisoners today, 25 of whom were applicants whose petitions were supported by Clemency Project 2014. Of those 25 that came through the Project, 14 were serving life sentences.
Cynthia W. Roseberry, project manager for Clemency Project 2014, said: "Today's grants, on the heels of 119 grants between March 30 and May 5, are certainly encouraging both to those awaiting word on their petitions and to the thousands of volunteer lawyers across the nation who are assisting them. On behalf of the Project and the many deserving people it serves, I want to express gratitude to President Obama for today's grants. We look forward to many more."
Clemency Project 2014, an unprecedented, independent effort by the nation's bar, has recruited and trained nearly 4,000 volunteer lawyers from diverse practice backgrounds and completed screening of over 30,000 of the more than 36,000 federal prisoners who have requested volunteer assistance. As of today, Clemency Project 2014 has submitted more than 1,150 petitions to the Office of the Pardon Attorney, with many more nearing submission.
For more information and to volunteer for Clemency Project 2014, please visit www.clemencyproject2014.org.
The American Bar Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the Federal Public and Community Defenders, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers have joined together under a working group they call Clemency Project 2014. Through the efforts of Clemency Project 2014, the participating organizations are identifying potential clemency petitioners and recruiting and training volunteer lawyers to assist them in securing clemency.
Contacts
Please direct all media inquiries to media@clemencyproject2014.org.
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is the preeminent organization advancing the mission of the criminal defense bar to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or wrongdoing. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's many thousands of direct members in 28 countries – and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000 attorneys – include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness and promoting a rational and humane criminal legal system.