#FREEROBERTDEALS
ROBERT'S INJUSTICE
Robert Deals, a retired Air Force veteran who served this country for eleven respectable years, is now serving his 14th year of an 18-year sentence a special veterans unit in Tucson, AZ. 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. In September 2012, Robert was convicted of a large list of crimes far outside the true scope and nature of his actions. Robert believes in most states in America, his case would’ve been thrown out completely under “entrapment”, whereas his associates and himself were solicited by undercover officers for the purchase of cannabis.
Alicia Deals, Robert’s daughter, feels 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 to 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 Governor Hobbs,
My name is [Your Name], and I’m calling as a concerned citizen to ask Governor Hobbs to consider clemency for Robert Deals. He’s a 56-year-old Air Force veteran who served 11 years for our country and has now served over a decade of an 18-year sentence for a nonviolent cannabis-related offense. Mr. Deals has taken full responsibility, has no record of serious criminal activity since, and struggles with PTSD linked to his military service.
His family describes him as loving and supportive, and I believe he deserves a second chance. I respectfully urge the Governor to review his case—thank you for your time.
