Last Prisoner Project calls on the New Jersey governor to release cannabis prisoners

Lawyers urge Governor Phil Murphy to grant mercy to the state’s nonviolent marijuana offenders

On Monday, January 10, the Last Prisoner Project led a coalition that released an open letter to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. The letter calls on Governor Murphy to grant categorical pardon to all marijuana offenders currently incarcerated in New Jersey state prisons. Although the state legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes in 2010 and for adults a decade later, the letter stated that “hundreds continue to be detained or released under supervision”.

Since 2019, Last Prisoner Project has worked with families in states across the country to secure phone calls, medical care, commissioners, and legal fees for cannabis offenders. As New Jersey launches its adult use market in 2022, LPP calls for justice for those who are still paying the cost of racist marijuana laws unfairly enforced for decades.

The letter reads:

“New Jersey state is expected to generate up to $ 173.5 million annually in tax revenue from the sale of legal cannabis … (Meanwhile) hundreds are still languishing in state prisons or suffering the aftermath of a state cannabis abuse.” . “- Last letter from the Prisoner Project to the Governor of New Jersey

The coalition behind the Last Prisoner Project’s letter includes the New Jersey Chapter of the NAACP, the rapper and native Newarker Redman, the New Jersey Cannabis Trade Association (NJCTA), the New Jersey Policy Perspective, and the New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition.

For decades, the police have used the cannabis ban as an excuse to harass and arrest blacks and other colored people. Police agencies not only enforce these unjust laws, they also help create them, protect them and add to the human suffering that results from them. (AdobeStock)

Stand up for affected families

One of the New Jersey advocates is Humberto Ramirez. Days after New Jersey residents voted to legalize adult recreational cannabis in 2020, Ramirez was sentenced to seven years in state prison for transporting six pounds of weed.

The prosecution removed a loving husband and devoted father from his family and put him behind bars at a high cost to state taxpayers. Ramierez’s family continue to suffer daily while the state and other residents joyfully benefit from the facility.

Not only did the lawyers call for the hypocrisy of the legal market, but also stressed the need for relief as COVID-19 ravages prisons across the country. Due to protocols that persisted throughout the pandemic, residents like Ramirez have been prevented from seeing their loved ones and have no access to adequate medical care.

While Last Prisoner Project recognizes that New Jersey has taken positive steps with “provisions that allow for automatic overturning and limited re-conviction,” the nonprofit contends that “current efforts should be accelerated to eradicate cases of those suspected of having cannabis -Infection remain incarcerated, be accelerated. related crime in New Jersey is tackled before others benefit. “

The incalculable human cost

The letter tells Governor Murphy that the current pandemic “underscores the urgent need to intelligently and safely reduce prison populations.” In addition to the pandemic, the letter highlights the long-term damage that prolonged incarceration causes to individuals, families and communities.

In a post on LPP’s website, Governor Murphy himself is quoted as saying: “Our current marijuana prohibition laws have failed every test of social justice – and maintained the status quo that allows tens of thousands of disproportionately colored people to live in Arrest New Jersey for Low Prices High-level drug offenses are unfair and unjustifiable. ”

The letter’s authors state, “Mass incarcerations have devastated families and communities, causing untold human suffering and economic loss, and placing enormous strain on limited government resources.” human redemption. If we take into account the lost opportunities and the economic impact of this national project, the net result is incalculable. “

Take action and join the movement

The Last Prisoner Project website contains a government cannabis pardon initiative that aims to address challenges that would come with the distribution of grace grants. The organization plans to work with governors and relevant government agencies nationwide to develop pardon protocols, a screening and application process, and recruitment, training and free legal assistance for petitioners.

With this letter, LPP and its coalition invite citizens around the world to “promote the hypocrisy of imprisoning people for cannabis convictions while others are allowed to make millions”. Whether this involves liaising with local officials or helping voters serving their sentences, the organization insists that “your voice can be part of our advocacy for Humberto and other people wrongly imprisoned for cannabis crimes. “

Click here to add your name to the New Jersey Cannabis Cmency Petition. For a full copy of the letter and the list of coalition members, click here.

If you have any questions about any of the topics addressed in this letter, please contact Sarah Gersten, Executive Director and General Counsel of the Last Prisoner Project, at sarah@lastprisonerproject.org.

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