#FREE
ROBERT
DEALS
ROBERT'S INJUSTICE
Robert Deals, a retired Air Force veteran who served this country for eleven respectable years, is now serving his twelfth year of an 18-year sentence in the state prison in Yuma, Arizona. On January 13, 2010, Robert Deals, was arrested for a cannabis-related conviction after he fled the scene of a police bust involving himself and two other individuals.
As an Air Force veteran with PTSD, in his haste and fear after having a gun drawn on him, Robert mistakenly struck an officer's hand with the side visor mirror while fleeing the scene. Robert was sentenced on September 27, 2012 for conspiracy, illegally conducting an enterprise, possession of marijuana for sale, transportation of marijuana for sale, money laundering, aggravated assault, and weapons charges in the Superior Court of Maricopa County.
Alicia Deals, Robert’s daughter, says the case against him has been mishandled by prosecutors. But she wasn’t content to let cannabis be the thing that tore her family apart.
Alicia has turned her family’s biggest burden into their family’s biggest blessing by opening a dispensary with a social equity license and using her platform to advocate for her father’s release. “We are using the power of our growing voice to raise awareness about my dad’s unjust sentence and to bring him home,” Alicia said.
After failing to receive justice through the court process, we are now submitting Robert’s case to Governor Katie Hobbs for executive clemency. Arizona’s clemency process requires the Board of Executive Clemency to review cases and make a recommendation before sending it to the Governor for a final decision. We shouldn’t be punishing people struggling with mental health issues, especially when the supposed crime is for an activity that is now legal in the state of Arizona.
Thus, Last Prisoner Project is launching the #FreeRobertDeals advocacy campaign to generate public pressure on the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency and Governor Katie Hobbs to use their authority to release him! We encourage you to use our information below to write, call, and email their offices and urge them to free Robert Deals.
HOW TO HELP
You can help by sending a letter and calling the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency and Governor Katie Hobbs’ office to #FreeRobertDeals using the information below. Then, you can amplify your direct action by using #FreeRobertDeals to share our campaign on social media.
CALL GOV. KATIE HOBBS' OFFICE
(SAMPLE SCRIPT)
“Hello, my name is ______.
I am calling today as a concerned citizen to advocate for the clemency and release of Robert Deals.
Robert Deals, a retired Air Force veteran who served this country for eleven respectable years, is now serving his twelfth year of an 18-year sentence in the state prison in Yuma, Arizona. On January 13, 2010, Robert was arrested for a cannabis-related conviction after he fled the scene of a police bust involving himself and two other individuals.
Mr. Deals, now 56-years-old, has served over half of his sentence. There is no record of any serious criminal activity by Mr. Deals since that offense over fourteen years ago and he has accepted full responsibility for his crime.
Mr. Deals’ family members describe him as nothing but loving and supportive. Mr. Deals is also a retired Air Force veteran who proudly served his county for eleven years. As a result, he has struggled with PTSD which contributed to his current legal situation.
I believe that his case deserves a second look and urge Governor Hobbs to consider granting him clemency.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter."
CALL ARIZONA CLEMENCY BOARD
(SAMPLE SCRIPT)
“Hello, my name is ______.
I am calling today as a concerned citizen to advocate for the clemency and release of Robert Deals.
Robert Deals, a retired Air Force veteran who served this country for eleven respectable years, is now serving his twelfth year of an 18-year sentence in the state prison in Yuma, Arizona. On January 13, 2010, Robert was arrested for a cannabis-related conviction after he fled the scene of a police bust involving himself and two other individuals.
Mr. Deals, now 56-years-old, has served over half of his sentence. There is no record of any serious criminal activity by Mr. Deals since that offense over fourteen years ago and he has accepted full responsibility for his crime.
Mr. Deals’ family members describe him as nothing but loving and supportive. Mr. Deals is also a retired Air Force veteran who proudly served his county for eleven years. As a result, he has struggled with PTSD which contributed to his current legal situation.
His case deserves a second look and I urge Arizona Executive Clemency Board Members Louis Quinonez, Mina Mendez, Sal Freni, and Susan Stodola to consider granting him clemency.
Thank you so much for your time."
ALICIA DEALS : FROM BURDEN TO BLESSING
Alicia Deals, the first Black woman to operate a cannabis dispensary stemming from a license awarded from Arizona’s social equity program, is a rising star in the cannabis industry while her father, Robert Deals, serves time in prison for cannabis-related charges.
In April 2022, Deals found out she was the recipient of one of Arizona’s social equity cannabis business licenses. Through determination, faith and grit, she is now the owner of a fully licensed, fully operating adult-use dispensary, and she is the first Black woman to operate with a state-issued social equity license. She teamed up with Berner to launch the first Cookies store in Arizona, one of the most popular national names in cannabis. While her father languishes in prison for cannabis sales, she is now licensed by the state to legally sell the same plant.
AMPLIFY THE CALL TO #FREEROBERTDEALS
The more people who put pressure on Gov. Hobbs and the Clemency Board to release Robert Deals from incarceration, the more likely she is to use her power to grant him clemency. We encourage you to share information about Robert’s case with your networks and use your social media accounts to push Gov. Hobbs, the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency, and their aides to #FreeRobertDeals.
