Hundreds of people are expected to gather at the U.S. Capitol on Saturday afternoon to call on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to grant clemency to more inmates languishing in prison.
And there’s a treat for those who participate: Everyone will receive a free serving of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream as part of the company’s national campaign to support clemency for people convicted of cannabis-related offenses.
Among those scheduled to speak at the rally are Michael Thompson, whom Gov. Gretchen Whitmer granted clemency in December 2020; Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein; prison reform activist and U.S. Senate candidate Hill Harper; Wayne County Prosecutor Eli Savit; formerly incarcerated people; family members of those behind bars; and activists for criminal justice reform.
“There are a lot of good people still inside that need [Whitmer’s] help,” Thompson, who is now president of the Michael Thompson Clemency Project’s board, said in a statement.
Thompson served more than 25 years in prison after selling marijuana to an undercover cop.
Also scheduled to speak is Tina Talbot, who was previously incarcerated for killing her husband in what many say was an act of self-defense that saved her and her son’s life.
The rally will take place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the state Capitol lawn.
Activists are urging the governor to grant clemency to seniors who have served more than half their sentence, people with chronic illness, individuals with cannabis-related convictions, domestic violence victims, people sentenced to life without parole as juveniles, and those who were automatically tried for crimes committed as a youth.
While the jail and prison populations have been on the decline in Michigan, most of that reduction came during the COVID-19 pandemic. Activists say commutations remain relatively rare, despite mounting evidence of systemic and institutional inequity that leads to Black and brown people to be incarcerated at higher rates than white people.
“Clemency authority is a powerful tool to correct errors of the past, give people a second chance at life outside of prison walls, and put families and communities back together,” the Michael Thompson Clemency Project said in a news release. “We urge Governor Whitmer to direct the Michigan Parole Board to initiate and prioritize reviewing and approving applications for executive clemency, and for the Governor's office to grant clemency to the recommended categories listed above.”
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