Digital Commons Network^™

Life Without Parole Is Replacing The Death Penalty -- But For Those Who Don’T Have The Possibility Of Parole, Their Future Is Bleak., Jessica Lerner

Capstones

Across the country, life sentences are increasingly being used to replace the death penalty, according to a recent study by The Sentencing Project. Nearly 162,000 people are serving life sentences – one out of every nine in prison, the study found – and for those like Darrell Powell, who don’t have the possibility of parole, their future is bleak.

https://jlerner.exposure.co/life-without-parole-is-replacing-the-death-penalty?source=share-jlerner

When Clemency Is A Lifeline, Shehzil Zahid

Capstones

In 1982, Yohannes Johnson was convicted for the murder of Errol Blackwood. He has spent the last 40 years behind bars and today, he is seeking clemency. This is a profile on potential clemency recipient Yohannes Johnson.

In New York’S Prison System, Who Is Eligible For A Second Chance?, Jackie Harris

Capstones

Robert "Bobby" Ehrenberg is 61 years old, and he is serving a 50 years to life sentence at Sullivan Correctional Facility for murdering Silvio Goldberg, a jewelry store owner, in 1992. After decades of "self-examination, education, and rehabilitative programs," Ehrenberg applied for clemency in 2020. In the audio portion, we hear who he was before incarceration and what factors led up to the murder he committed. The other multimedia display the clemency application components, incarceration population data and upcoming state legislation that could impact Ehrenberg’s sentence.

Getting Out: Bruce Bryant’S Climb To Redemption Inside Prison, Rachel M. Rippetoe, Sean Sanders-Mills

Capstones

Bruce Bryant, 50, was convicted of the murder of 11-year-old Travis Lilley in June 1996. Bryant maintains he never fired a weapon that day in 1993. But he recognizes that his lifestyle as a young person — he started dealing drugs when he was 14 — contributed to an environment in which a stray bullet could take a young life. And for that reason, he’s spent most of his 25 years in prison working to help young people.

With at least 12 more years on his sentence, Bryant is now asking the governor for early release, with the hope that …

After 31 Years In Prison, Lee Chalk Asks For Forgiveness., Jeffery Harrell, Brenda Leon

Capstones

Lee Chalk has spent more than three decades in state prison, and is now applying for executive clemency to have his sentence ended early. He is guilty of a crime, being involved in an armed robbery turned deadly which killed two people. Our project explores the potential for transformation and rehabilitation inside prison, and the personal and political ramification of mass incarceration and extreme sentencing.

https://medium.com/p/738d1cb28532/edit

A shorter version of the capstone was also published with Gothamist here: https://gothamist.com/news/ny-prison-clemency-parole-cuomo

Clemency Gives A Renewed Sense Of Hope To A Man Incarcerated For 39 Years, Annie Todd, Stephanie Chukwuma

Capstones

Paul Clark has spent the past 39 years incarcerated in New York prisons. He was 19 when he first went inside because he murdered a 17-year-old at an East Flatbush summer block party. A few years later, 25 years was added to his sentence for a crime he says he never committed. He's asked Governor Andrew Cuomo for clemency in 2019.

https://medium.com/@annietodd203/clemency-gives-renewed-sense-of-hope-to-man-incarcerated-for-39-years-44a8ee58db2e

A Long And Pricey Road To Freedom For New York's Aging Prisoners, Khorri Atkinson

Capstones

This character-driven capstone examines the impact New York’s growing aging inmates – defined as those over 50 – have on the criminal justice system.

The stories of those who are in and have been through the system, suggest that reform effort is still dragging slowly. The sentencing policies and healthcare costs continue to have lasting consequences for inmates, their relatives and taxpayers. And early release programs, such as commutation, pardon and parole, also tend to shy away from people serving decades in prison for violent crimes because of the lingering tough-on-crime era.

https://nyagingprisoners.atavist.com/capstone-project-