Those convicted of a federal crime must apply for a presidential pardon, or ask the President to commute their sentence. In both cases, the requirements for submission are numerous, time consuming, and nerve-wracking. Petitioners face an emotional roller coaster as the time draws near for the President to announce his choices for pardons. Nervous energy abounds in federal prisons across the country. Whether seeking a pardon, or a reduction in sentence, all are hoping for a second chance. Prayers are said, friends offer support and best wishes to the petitioners, and families have their hopes raised that their loved ones will soon rejoin them, or will be able to put their past behind them. In most cases, the prayers go unanswered, friends try to offer words of comfort, and the families’ hopes are, once again dashed, when the President’s list is announced. One can only imagine the sadness and bitterness that a federal inmate feels as the President pardons a turkey for Thanksgiving, while human beings who have asked for one are denied.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2009 African-Americans made up 13.6 percent of the population. Marc Maurer, of the Sentencing Project, reported that in 2007 African-Americans made up 900,000 of the 2.2 million individuals incarcerated in this country. Yet, as the Post reports, the majority of pardons go to White Americans. For those in our federal prisons, this is not the surprise it was to the White House or Justice Department. Hopefully, however, it will be a wake-up call for our government.
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