Last Prisoner Project

70 million people are impacted by the criminal legal system in the U.S.—and many of them can't afford the high cost of phone calls to their incarcerated loved ones. Submit a comment by 10/21 via JustLeadershipUSA's website to the Federal Communications Commission urging them to stop prison price gouging: https://lnkd.in/emESwSkj

This Hispanic Heritage Month, Jason Ortiz and Jessica F. Gonzalez, Esq. highlight the intersection of U.S. cannabis policy and Latino communities. "As we end the war on cannabis users, our community has a right and an interest in ensuring the damage done to us by the war on drugs is repaired, our prisoners are freed to reunite with their families and that the benefits of the legal cannabis industry make it back to us as investments in our community." Read the full piece on Marijuana Moment: https://lnkd.in/g3kTFuD2

Last Prisoner Project's Director of Strategic Initiatives, Jason Ortiz, who was nominated for ICIA's Advocate of the Year, will be speaking at this year’s Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association Conference— and we hope to see you there! Together, we'll elevate Indigenous-owned businesses and build a more inclusive cannabis ecosystem. #ICIA2024 #IndigenousPeoplesDay ??Washington, DC ??? November 13-15. https://lnkd.in/gFXAfwy9

BREAKING NEWS: Vice President Harris has announced that she will legalize cannabis at the federal level, should she be elected President. The announcement is part of an agenda to "give Black men the tools to build wealth and achieve financial freedom, lower costs for themselves and their families, and protect their rights." Read more about the VP's proposed agenda here: https://lnkd.in/e7Z6fSeW *This post is for informational purposes only. As a 501c3, Last Prisoner Project does not endorse political candidates.

We had the privilege of attending Last Prisoner Project’s Journey to Justice Inaugural Gala in New York City, and the night was unforgettable. It featured powerful performances by Damian and Stephen Marley, along with powerful speeches from individuals like Michael Thompson and Richard Delisi - both of whom have lived through the impact of unjust cannabis laws. The night featured stations where attendees could write letters to state officials, along with displays of memorabilia from those still serving time for cannabis offenses. It was a night of reflection, action, and hope, reminding us that there’s still work to be done. #cannabiscommunity #cannabisevents #cannabis?

"My name is Ismael Lira, and I have been incarcerated for over 20 years of a life sentence for cannabis. I was convicted and received a life sentence in connection with the transportation and distribution of cannabis. The words of Enlightenment thinkers resonate with our modern quest for justice. Voltaire famously stated, “It is better to risk saving a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one.” This sentiment echoes the principle that the justice system should err on the side of caution, prioritizing the freedom of the innocent over the punitive excesses currently dominating." Read more about what Ismael has to say in his op-ed here: ?? https://loom.ly/kSRkKE8 #cannabisincarceration #cannabisjustice #socialequity

In 2010 alone, the FBI reported over 853,000 cannabis-related arrests. That year, LPP’s Director of Advocacy Stephanie Shepard entered federal prison, where she’d spend nearly a decade of her life for a first-time, nonviolent cannabis-related offense. 14 years later, 1 in 5 of the nearly 2 million people currently incarcerated in the U.S. are behind bars for drug-related offenses. In an interview with Courthouse News Service, Stephanie and LPP’s policy manager Adrian Rocha discuss how far the cannabis justice movement has come—and how far it still needs to go to bring true justice to those harmed by cannabis criminalization. https://lnkd.in/ezUfEpVc

Change doesn’t happen overnight but our inaugural Journey to Justice Gala—where we were surrounded by so many of our freed constituents and advocacy partners—showed us just how far we’ve come. ?? Thank you to all our sponsors including Josh Kesselman, Dutchie, Goodwin, Edie Parker, Delisioso, Ethos, iAnthus, Jeeter - a DreamFields Brand, Green Thumb Industries (GTI), The Redemption Foundation, RISE Dispensaries, Weedmaps, Primitiv Group, Evidence, The Travel Agency: A Cannabis Store, Ascend, Cultivated CBD, and PAX. Together, we will continue this fight and keep moving forward until we free every last cannabis prisoner.

The Fair Future Act, introduced last month by Senator Cory Booker and Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, would repeal a section of the 1988 Fair Housing Amendments Act which has prevented more than nine million people with prior drug convictions from accessing rental housing. Read more via The Hill: https://lnkd.in/ehrTTjrm

We are grateful to announce that Last Prisoner Project constituent Esequiel Hernández has been released from prison after serving 12 years for a victimless, cannabis-related offense. “Thanks to Last Prisoner Project for all your help while I was incarcerated," Esequiel wrote in a message to our team. "There's no words that can describe what you did for me in those hard days and for your condolences when my dad passed away a few months before I was released. It’s so nice to be free after 12 long years in prison for cannabis. Thank you so much.” While serving his sentence, Esequiel received commissary support to offset the hidden costs of incarceration. Now free, we have provided him with a reentry grant to help him get back on his feet. ?? https://lnkd.in/exCNgeMk