As people of faith, we believe in a faith that is grounded in mercy and acknowledges the inherent human dignity of every person. We are committed to expanding clemency in the state of Washington by passing Senate Bill 5036.

This bill would expand clemency by:

  1. Increasing the membership (from 5 to 10) of the Clemency & Pardons Board (CPB), allowing more             people to petition to get a hearing and to allow the CPB to increase racial representation on the board.

 2. Changing the parameters of who can petition the board:

• Anyone who has served 20 consecutive years.
• Anyone who has served 15 years, if in for life as a 3 striker (AND the 3^rd strike was a nonviolent offense)
• Anyone who has served 25 years, if they are serving a life sentence for Aggravated Murder in the first degree.

We recently hosted a screening & panel discussion on the documentary Since I Have Been Down which examines the unjust reality of the Washington Prison system and tells the story of Kimonti Carter. He joined a gang at age 11. At age 18, he was sentenced to 777 years in prison for his role in a drive by shooting in 1997. Against all odds, Kimonti became an inspirational role model within the prison system. As a leader of the Black Prisoners' Caucus, at age 34, Kimonti founded TEACH (Taking Education and Creating History), a remarkably innovative prisoner education program. Kimonti was part of a community profoundly impacted by the city's disinvestment in housing, education, and employment as well as our policies in the 1990's. This film, told by the people who have lived these conditions, unravels why children commit violent crime and how these children – now adults – are breaking free from their fate by creating a model of justice that is transforming their lives, our humanity and the quality of life for all our children. Many of the individuals featured in this film and Kimonti, would be directly impacted by an expansion of clemency, offering a more fair and equitable process, and the possibility of reduced time inside.

In 2000, the U.S. Catholic Bishops wrote the pastoral letter “Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration” where they state: “We believe a Catholic vision of crime and criminal justice can offer some alternatives. It recognizes that root causes and personal choices can both be factors in crime by understanding the need for responsibility on the part of the offender and an opportunity for their rehabilitation. A Catholic approach leads us to encourage models of restorative justice that seek to address crime in terms of the harm done to victims and communities, not simply as a violation of law.” Expanding clemency would help achieve this vision, offering a pathway towards restoration, that acknowledges the power of people to change.

We urge the House to pass Senate Bill 5036 and expand clemency in the state of Washington and acknowledge that all people deserve a chance at redemption!