SUCCESS STORIES

STORIES OF FREEDOM

At the Last Prisoner Project we utilize a three-pronged approach to securing FULL freedom for the communities we serve. Through intervention, advocacy, and awareness campaigns the Last Prisoner Project works to ensure our constituents are not just released from incarceration, but able to fully rebuild their lives.


Learn more about some of our success stories below.

Michael Thompson

MICHIGAN CLEMENCY PROGRAM


Michael Thompson served over 25 years in Michigan prison for a nonviolent marijuana offense.


In January 2020, pro bono attorney Kimberly Corrall submitted Michael's petition for clemency. Nearly a year to the day later, after hundreds of thousands of calls, emails, letters of support from the community, elected officials, and Attorney General Dana Nessel, Governor Whitmer granted Michael's request for commutation.


In the early hours of January 28th, at 4am, Michael Thompson was released from prison in Jackson, Michigan – and reunited with his family and loved ones that he hadn’t seen in over 25 years.


We are thrilled that Michael is able to reunite with his family, including two daughters, and grandchildren that he is getting to meet for the first time.


Through the LPP support fund Michael was able to cover costs associated with securing long term housing, a new wardrobe, and transportation.

Corvain Cooper

FEDERAL CLEMENCY PROGRAM


After serving eight years of a LIFE sentence for distributing cannabis, Corvain Cooper was granted executive clemency in January 2021. Corvain's clemency petition was co-sponsored by LPP and the NACDL Trial Penalty Program.


The day after his commutation was signed, Corvain walked out of a Louisiana prison, traveled back to Los Angeles, and reunited with his family and two young daughters, Cleer and Scotlyn.


With the financial assistance from LPP Corvain is working to rebuild his life, and has been able to assist his daughters with all of the resources they need to pursue their education.


Cleer says she is interested in majoring in either fashion or law, and Scotlyn shares her Dad's entrepreneurial spirit, having recently started her own hair accessories e-commerce site.

Richard DeLisi

FLORIDA CLEMENCY PROGRAM


In 2020 Richard DeLisi was the country's longest actively serving cannabis prisoner, having served over 30 years of a victimless cannabis offense. Pro bono attorneys Chiara Juster, Elizabeth Buchanan, Michael Minardi, and LPP Legal Fellow Mariah Daly quickly jumped at the chance to assist Richard in his request for clemency.


In the summer of 2020 Richard's attorneys supplements his clemency petition with over 200 pages of supplemental material. Their persistent advocacy led to Richard receiving an early release date.



After being released in December 2020, Richard was able to spend the holidays with his family for the first time in over three decades.


In February, he celebrated his 72nd birthday. He is thankful to LPP and all of those who donated to ensure he could successfully reintegrate into society and feel fully supported.

Andy Cox

COMPASSIONATE RELEASE PROGRAM


In 2005, Andy Cox was indicted for conspiracy to manufacture marijuana for growing cannabis plants in the forest on his father’s property. A former firefighter, small business owner, and father of three, Andy wanted to grow his own cannabis to consume and sell — the same thing cannabis industry leaders are now minting millions of dollars doing without prosecution. 


Despite the absence of violence of any kind, Andy was sentenced to LIFE without the possibility of parole. Tragically, during the 12 years he was incarcerated, Cox lost his father, youngest son, and many other friends and loved ones.


In 2020, pro bono attorneys at Goodwin filed a motion for re-sentencing through LPP’s federal compassionate release program. In January 2021, that order was granted and mercifully, Andy was released.



Andy is now back home in Florida, enjoying spending time with family, and the outdoors.

Way Quoe Long

FEDERAL CLEMENCY PROGRAM


For 25 years, Way Quoe Long held the distinction of receiving one of the harshest sentences for marijuana ever handed down by California’s Ninth Circuit. In 1998 he was charged with conspiracy to manufacture marijuana and until January 20th, 2021 was serving a de facto life sentence for a nonviolent, marijuana-only offense.


It is with great joy that we can say that Way was granted clemency and is now free from prison and ready to start a new life in the pacific northwest. It’s going to take a lot of time and resources for him to rebuild his life and our dream is that he will be able to afford his own home so that he can have a place where his two boys who have had to grow up without their father can stay with him.


Way Quoe Long is a lifelong musician who has been writing songs while he was incarcerated for the past 23 years and hopes to bring those songs to life now that he has been granted his freedom.


John Knock

FEDERAL CLEMENCY PROGRAM


In the 70s and 80s, John Knock was part of a loose group of individuals that imported marijuana into the northwest, Canada, and Europe. For most of this time John lived out of the country. Around 1987 John withdrew and spent his time at home with his family doing various home improvement jobs, taking care of property and working on his relationships with his family.


​John, his wife and child were living in Hawaii in 1994 when he was indicted on a cannabis conspiracy charge. His wife was completing her PhD in biology and he was a stay at home Dad, enjoying his time with family and young son. 


John served over 23 years of a life sentence for cannabis. John was advocated for by many groups, most notably his sister Beth Curtis's organization Life for Pot. After serving over 23 years of a LIFE sentence for cannabis conspiracy, John was granted executive clemency in January 2021. John's clemency petition was co-sponsored by LPP and the NACDL Trial Penalty Program.

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