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.
Percy
Like many incarcerated individuals, Percy’s early life was characterized by abuse and neglect which resulted in being lost in the foster system and moved from house to house. Not surprisingly, as a young teenager, he entered into the world of drugs and alcohol, which ultimately resulted in a robbery. He spent 18 years in prison for a crime in which no one was seriously injured (while his co defendants spent 3 years and 6 months).
During his incarceration, Percy received near perfect grades while earning his AA degree and had been infraction free since 2006. He used his academic gifts to mentor other people, many of whom say his guidance and mentoring helped with their success after prison. He is a published author who has written about the rehabilitative value of education in prison. He served as a teachers assistant. In addition to his personal transformation, he drafted a proposal on how Washington could improve its parole policy.
Percy’s volunteer legal team at Perkins Coie–Harry Schneider, Elvira Castillo, Carolyn Gilbert and Kiyomi Robinson–assisted Percy in gaining release from a 24-year sentence through clemency. We’re happy to have him outside and helping to give a voice to those still inside and the challenges they face.