Access to Legal Representation
Tax deductible
We are a small 501(c)3 nonprofit based out of a tiny office in Seattle. Our mission is to help reformed and deserving inmates chart a path to clemency, by matching them with pro bono attorneys. We are currently seeking $15,000 to hire a development consultant so that we can continue to fill a critical need within the criminal justice system.
Why is our service critical?
Washington abolished the parole board in 1984. This means that individuals incarcerated in Washington don’t get to have their cases reviewed unlike those in most other states. Therefore, the only hope for early release for most inmates is either through clemency or a pardon. This includes those who were sentenced under “Three Strikes Law,” the harsh consequences of which has been greatly reevaluated since its first enactment.
What is clemency?
Clemency is a power held by the governor to shorten someone’s sentence. It’s the same power that the POTUS used to grant clemency to Alice Marie Johnson at Kim Kardashian West’s request.
Who are our clients?
So, what do we mean by “deserving”? Let me tell you the story of our first client, Gary, the one that started it all.
Gary’s life was unstable from the very beginning. When he was 12, his father taught him how to rob pharmacies. Addiction became the one constant of Gary’s life, all the way up to his conviction in 1999. Gary had two previous felonies, both for robbing stores. In 1998, homeless and desperate to feed a heroin addiction, Gary walked into several banks over the course of a week. He wore no disguise and carried no weapon. He demanded money from the tellers and walked out. Gary was quickly arrested and sentenced under the “Three Strikes” law to Life Without the Possibility of Parole. It could have easily been the last we heard of Gary. But Gary wasn’t ready to give up.
Over the next 19 years, Gary struggled towards, and achieved, sobriety, despite having no formal drug treatment. And Gary found his way back to the best therapy he has ever known: art. It turns out that when Gary is sober, he’s a phenomenal artist. University Beyond Bars asked him to teach a class to fellow inmates. The Department of Corrections asked him to make a mural. And it went so well, they asked him to do another. And then another. They moved Gary to prisons all across the state to paint these incredible works of art.
Through the legal representation provided by the Seattle Clemency Project, Gary went before the Clemency and Pardons board in June 2016, where he got a unanimous recommendation for clemency. And in December of 2016, the governor agreed with the recommendation and signed off on the clemency petition.
Gary, previously told he would die in prison, got a second chance!
...
But there are many others like Gary, waiting for an opportunity to tell their story.
Second Chances & Going Forward
We believe we have built a model that works. The numbers speak for themselves:
· So far, we have generated over $2.5M worth of pro bono legal services
·5 of our clients have been freed from a life sentence
·Over 75 clients have been matched with FREE legal representation
·Over 90 lawyers are working on cases
More than that, we believe we are giving hope to clients and attorneys alike:
·“I have personally witnessed the awareness that the Project has spread in our community about the need for legal representation for what may have been the most underrepresented, and frankly forgotten, segment of our society.” -- Paul Heer, attorney at Foster Pepper
· “Most importantly, thanks to Seattle Clemency Project support and guidance, we were able to secure a conditional commutation—a promise of freedom for someone who desperately needs it. That experience was the most rewarding of my legal career.” --Aaron Brecher, attorney
And we’ve had the pleasure of working with fantastic solo practitioners as well as attorneys from firms including:
·Perkins Coie, Davis Wright Tremaine, Foster Pepper, K&L Gates, Lane Powell, Williams Kastner, Stoel Rives, Karr Tuttle Campbell, Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson, Miller Nash Graham & Young, Schweet Linde & Colson, Gordon & Saunders, Schroeter Goldmark Bender, DLA Piper
With a model that works and a great legal community backing our efforts, the next challenge for our small nonprofit is to be sustainable. Having the resources to hire a development consultant can allow us to continue our commitment to giving second chances. Thank you for your consideration.
Why is our service critical?
Washington abolished the parole board in 1984. This means that individuals incarcerated in Washington don’t get to have their cases reviewed unlike those in most other states. Therefore, the only hope for early release for most inmates is either through clemency or a pardon. This includes those who were sentenced under “Three Strikes Law,” the harsh consequences of which has been greatly reevaluated since its first enactment.
What is clemency?
Clemency is a power held by the governor to shorten someone’s sentence. It’s the same power that the POTUS used to grant clemency to Alice Marie Johnson at Kim Kardashian West’s request.
Who are our clients?
So, what do we mean by “deserving”? Let me tell you the story of our first client, Gary, the one that started it all.
Gary’s life was unstable from the very beginning. When he was 12, his father taught him how to rob pharmacies. Addiction became the one constant of Gary’s life, all the way up to his conviction in 1999. Gary had two previous felonies, both for robbing stores. In 1998, homeless and desperate to feed a heroin addiction, Gary walked into several banks over the course of a week. He wore no disguise and carried no weapon. He demanded money from the tellers and walked out. Gary was quickly arrested and sentenced under the “Three Strikes” law to Life Without the Possibility of Parole. It could have easily been the last we heard of Gary. But Gary wasn’t ready to give up.
Over the next 19 years, Gary struggled towards, and achieved, sobriety, despite having no formal drug treatment. And Gary found his way back to the best therapy he has ever known: art. It turns out that when Gary is sober, he’s a phenomenal artist. University Beyond Bars asked him to teach a class to fellow inmates. The Department of Corrections asked him to make a mural. And it went so well, they asked him to do another. And then another. They moved Gary to prisons all across the state to paint these incredible works of art.
Through the legal representation provided by the Seattle Clemency Project, Gary went before the Clemency and Pardons board in June 2016, where he got a unanimous recommendation for clemency. And in December of 2016, the governor agreed with the recommendation and signed off on the clemency petition.
Gary, previously told he would die in prison, got a second chance!
...
But there are many others like Gary, waiting for an opportunity to tell their story.
Second Chances & Going Forward
We believe we have built a model that works. The numbers speak for themselves:
· So far, we have generated over $2.5M worth of pro bono legal services
·5 of our clients have been freed from a life sentence
·Over 75 clients have been matched with FREE legal representation
·Over 90 lawyers are working on cases
More than that, we believe we are giving hope to clients and attorneys alike:
·“I have personally witnessed the awareness that the Project has spread in our community about the need for legal representation for what may have been the most underrepresented, and frankly forgotten, segment of our society.” -- Paul Heer, attorney at Foster Pepper
· “Most importantly, thanks to Seattle Clemency Project support and guidance, we were able to secure a conditional commutation—a promise of freedom for someone who desperately needs it. That experience was the most rewarding of my legal career.” --Aaron Brecher, attorney
And we’ve had the pleasure of working with fantastic solo practitioners as well as attorneys from firms including:
·Perkins Coie, Davis Wright Tremaine, Foster Pepper, K&L Gates, Lane Powell, Williams Kastner, Stoel Rives, Karr Tuttle Campbell, Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson, Miller Nash Graham & Young, Schweet Linde & Colson, Gordon & Saunders, Schroeter Goldmark Bender, DLA Piper
With a model that works and a great legal community backing our efforts, the next challenge for our small nonprofit is to be sustainable. Having the resources to hire a development consultant can allow us to continue our commitment to giving second chances. Thank you for your consideration.
Organizer
Seattle Clemency Project
Organizer
Seattle, WA
Seattle Clemency Project
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
