EARLY RELEASE FROM PRISON (COMMUTATION)
The United States incarcerates more of its citizens than any other nation in the world. We are home to just five percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of the world’s prisoners, driven in large part by tough on crime laws of the 80s and 90s.
In Washington State, parole was abolished in 1984 and in 1993, the three strikes law and other harsh sentencing penalties were enacted. The combination of harsh sentencing penalties and no review for early release led Washington’s prison population to explode in the 1990s. Today almost 20% of the men and women who are incarcerated in Washington prisons are serving a life or de facto life sentence, with no hope of release.
Seattle Clemency Project matches individuals seeking early release with free legal representation to ensure they will have an advocate and meaningful review through the clemency process.
Jerry
Pictured from left to right: Jerry Davenport, Post-Release Reentry Specialist; Gail Brashear, Immigrant Post-Conviction Relief Program Paralegal; unknown New Freedom graduate; Viet Vu, Immigrant Post-Conviction Relief Client; Jerry Duran, New Freedom Founder and Clemency Client; and Jennie Pasquarella, Legal Director.
In December 2024, Governor Inslee commuted Jerry’s sentence. Jerry was given an extraordinary sentence of 49 years due to the gang-related nature of the crime and a prior juvenile offense. He was 20 years old at the time and would serve nearly 30 years before being matched with his volunteer lawyer, Aline Flower of the Gates Foundation. At his clemency hearing in September 2024, Jerry received a unanimous recommendation for relief from the board.
Jerry’s story of rehabilitation is rooted in a desire to make amends for the harm he caused his victim’s loved ones and the community. While incarcerated, Jerry founded New Freedom, a first-of-its-kind gang member rehabilitation program that is led by former gang members serving life or long sentences. Class sessions allow participants to work on life skills and encourage them to pursue “new ways of thinking” through group therapy exercises. The program is dedicated to the “memory and honor” of Jerry’s victim.
New Freedom has expanded the opportunity landscape for former gang members looking to renounce and redeem, bringing forth a previously unseen collaboration between former gang rivals and prison administrators. Describing the intention of the program, Jerry wrote, “New Freedom helps the men realize that violence has a lasting effect on all, not just one, and that a life lost can never be replaced. This program is the way I honor my victim, who was and is my friend.” Today, New Freedom is considered the model for gang intervention programs across Washington and other states, exemplifying the restorative power of empathy and accountability.
During his incarceration, Jerry built a loving, supportive family. He will be reunited with his wife, Laura, and three children upon his release. In the twenty-five years since he committed his crime, Jerry has confronted the circumstances and actions that led him to cause irreparable harm. His transformation is rooted in a desire to heal from traumatic wounds and share that absolution with others. With this commutation, Jerry embarks on a path he set in motion long ago when he first saw change as possible.