Federal Profiles

Jack Carpenter

Jack Carpenter is serving 10 years in federal prison for growing medical marijuana in California.Read More

Robert Furlong

Robert Furlong, the father of a young daughter, is serving 15 years in prison for his first time offense: growing marijuana and owning three guns.Read More

Sherman Chester

Sherman Chester is serving life without parole for a third-strike nonviolent drug offense. At sentencing, his judge said: "this man doesn’t deserve a life sentence, and there is no way that I can legally keep from giving it to him.”Read More

John Hise

John Hise is serving a 10 year mandatory minimum sentence for his limited role in a methamphetamine conspiracy.Read More

Reynolds Wintersmith

Reynolds Wintersmith has spent nearly half of his life in federal prison. In
1994, he was sentenced to life without parole for his role in a crack cocaine
conspiracy. It was his first conviction. Read More

Timothy Tyler

After graduating from high school, Timothy traveled around the country following the Grateful Dead and became a heavy user of LSD. In 1994, he received life in prison for selling LSD. Timothy’s life sentence was determined by two factors: his two prior drug offenses and the amount of LSD he was convicted of selling, which included the “carrier” weight of the paper the LSD was placed on. Read More

Derrick Cain

Derrick started selling cocaine to finance his wife's college education and support his family. His short-term solution to his financial problems turned into a nightmare, with his federal judge unable to depart from a ten-year mandatory minimum sentence.Read More

DeJarion Echols

DeJarion is serving a 20-year mandatory minimum sentence. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Walter S. Smith, Jr. said, “This is one of those situations where I’d like to see a Congressman sitting before me.”Read More

Ricky Minor

Judge Roger Vinson was forced to condemn Ricky to life without the possibility of parole: "If I had any discretion at all, I would not impose a life sentence…I really don’t have any discretion in this matter."

Darlene Eckles

A first-time offender, Darlene was sentenced to almost 20 years in federal prison for her minimal role in a North Carolina drug ring. Read More

Weldon Angelos

Weldon is serving 55 years for selling marijuana three times while possessing or being in the presence of a weapon (though he never showed or used the gun). Read More

Stephanie George

In the words of Stephanie's sentencing judge, she received a life sentence behind bars for being "a girlfriend and bag holder and money holder" for boyfriends that sold drugs.
Read More

Michael Keating

Michael is serving 11 years in federal prison for his minor role in a methamphetamine conspiracy. Read More

Douglas Lindsay

As a young man, Douglas sold drugs to neighborhood acquaintances to pay for college. He went on to work with handicapped individuals and earn a social work degree. Unfortunately, his youthful decision would cost him his life.
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Calandra Calloway

Calandra, a mother of two, is serving 14 years for her minor role in a crack cocaine conspiracy.

Celestia Mixon

Celestia's methamphetamine addiction hooked her into a drug conspiracy that resulted in a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence.

Barbara Scrivner

Once addicted to methamphetamine, Barbara turned her life around in prison but is stuck serving a three-decade-long sentence.

Michael Brandon Shuler

Youthful convictions and a gun inheritance resulted in a 15-year federal mandatory minimum for Michael.

Brian Ison

Brian was sentenced to 11 years, 3 months in federal prison for buying methamphetamine at age 18.

Mandy Martinson

Mandy Martinson was "guilty by association" in her boyfriend's drug case. Read More

Michael McClain

A devastating addiction to drugs overcame Michael's life and eventually culminated in a 15-year federal prison sentence.Read More

Telisha Watkins

Telisha agreed to introduce an old neighbor interested in buying 18 ounces of powder cocaine to a dealer. However, because the dealer brought crack cocaine to sell along with the powder, she is serving a sentence three times as severe. Read More

Sabrina Giles

Sabrina is serving a 12-year prison sentence for her involvement in her boyfriend's methamphetamine conspiracy.

Iveth Vega

Iveth, a mother of six, is serving 14 years in federal prison for acting as a drug mule.

Dana Bowerman

Dana is serving almost 20 years in federal prison for her involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy.Read More

Patrick Ryan

Patrick is serving 15 years under the Armed Career Criminal Act for pawning a shotgun.Read More

Angela & Kimberly Bush

The Bush sisters are serving lengthy federal prison terms for conspiracy to manufacture crack.Read More

Ronald J. Evans

At 19, Ronald was sentenced to life in federal prison for his participation in a drug conspiracy.

Ricky Darden

Addiction drove Ricky Darden into drug dealing and contributed to his eventual life sentence in federal prison.