While many of us prepare for a fresh start in 2024, there are sadly too many people still incarcerated for cannabis that are being denied a second chance. We were deeply saddened to hear that Antonio Wyatt’s clemency petition has been denied by the Kansas Prisoner Review Board just before the holidays.
Antonio has served 6.5 years of an 11-year sentence after being pulled over for a traffic stop in Kansas with cannabis in his vehicle by Highway Patrol (KHP). A practice that a federal judge
recently ruled violates the Fourth Amendment and ordered to stop.
While Antonio has now been repeatedly denied justice in his attempts at clemency by the Kansas Prisoner Review Board, we refuse to give up. We must continue to uplift Antonio’s case for clemency to Gov. Kelly as well as all those still incarcerated in Kansas, like LPP constituent Deshaun Durham.
While incarcerated, the father-of-two has shown great dedication to successfully reentering society by working as a barber and sharing his story with at-risk youth. LPP will continue to support Antonio through commissary payments, letters of support, and taking his fight for freedom to the statehouse to enact cannabis justice through retroactive relief policies in Kansas.
We recently released our
State of Cannabis Justice Report, a state-by-state analysis of criminal justice reform policies around the nation. Not surprisingly, the state of Kanas scored poorly due to their lack of legalization, resentencing, and pardon programs (swipe to read).
We want to thank his lawyer Barry Grissom for all the hard work he has done for Antonio pro-bono, as part of our Cannabis Justice Initiative. And a huge thank you to all who have contacted the Kansas Prisoner Review Board and Governor Kelly’s office to advocate on Antonio’s behalf.
In a letter Antonio wrote Barry saying, "In spite of the denial, I have a positive attitude that's sustained by my equanimity. I would like to thank you and the Last Prisoner Project for all your efforts and full court press in my quest for freedom."
Rest assured, the fight is not over. As we move into 2024, our team will be exploring all available legal avenues to bring Antonio home to his family.
Read more about Antonio’s story
here.
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