With the Supreme Court's ruling (finally) in favor of sentencing fairness for Crack vs. Powder Cocaine charges and the U.S. Sentencing Commissions retroactive implementation of its recent guideline amendment on crack cocaine offenses, it seems that the case of Howard grads Lawrence and Lamont Garrison may get another look...and at minimum may result in a reduction of their 15-year and 19-year, respectively, sentences.
According to the Sentencing Project, an estimated 19,500 persons in Federal Prison will likely be eligible for a sentence reduction of more than two years.
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Lawrence and Lamont Garrison
Identical twins Lawrence and Lamont Garrison were inseparable. In elementary school, one would rush to the other's classroom and wait until he was dismissed. Living in the same house in Washington, D.C. that their mother and grandmother had grown up in, they attended Howard University together. Both worked part time to help pay their tuition – Lamont for the Department of Justice and Lawrence for the Department of Energy. Good students and aspiring lawyers, the twins graduated together in May 1998.
A month before their graduation, the police came to the door one night and arrested Lawrence and Lamont. They were charged with conspiracy as part of a 20-person powder and crack cocaine operation, implicated by a target of the investigation, the owner of a Maryland auto body shop."
My boys never missed a day in school, they never stayed out all night and then one night the police knocked on the door and said they were drug dealers," recalled the twins' mother, Karen Garrison.
In court, they maintained their innocence and would not accept a plea bargain. Although no drugs, paraphernalia or drug money were found in their house or on their person, they were separately convicted of conspiracy to distribute powder and crack cocaine.
The conviction resulted from the testimony of members of the conspiracy, and records showing calls they made to the body shop. According to Lawrence and Lamont, the phone calls were related to a botched repair job on their uncle's car. The owner of the body shop had his sentence reduced by implicating others in the conspiracy, and was sentenced to 36 months in prison.
The Garrison twins were finally separated by harsh federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws when they were sentenced and incarcerated in federal prison. Although neither brother had a prior conviction, Lamont was sent to Manchester, Kentucky for 19 years; Lawrence was sent to Elkton, Ohio for 15 years.
"After they were found guilty in June they never came back home," the mother recalled. I didn't think stuff like this happens. If I had other children, how could I tell them ‘stay in school, be good and nothing bad will happen to you,' because that's not true.
In 2001, the Washington City Paper quoted a letter from a former professor written to the judge on the twins' behalf: "I have known Lawrence and Lamont for about five years. They were present on time for every single class session. They were diligent in their work, enthusiastic and highly motivated … They struck me as very focused and spiritual young men. I enjoyed having them in my classes and conversing with them outside of class … Lawrence and Lamont do not belong in jail."
Now 34, Lawrence and Lamont have served nine years in prison, and still maintain their innocence. Ms. Garrison, 53, now spends every other weekend on the road to visit one of her sons. It's a 300-mile drive from her home in Washington, D.C. to visit Lawrence and a 500-mile drive to visit Lamont. Lawrence remains interested in the law and has taught a legal writing class in prison. Lamont wants to pursue a Masters in business. However, both will continue to face hurdles to success.
The Garrison twins' cases raise questions of innocence, although they were in fact convicted of a drug conspiracy. But, did the punishment fit the crime? Twenty years ago, at the start of the "war on drugs," penalties for drug offenses increased dramatically. These new laws were intended to target major drug dealers, or "kingpins." However, the people most affected by these policies have not been kingpins. They are most likely to be people from low income communities and communities of color. The result has been the mass incarceration of low-level and non-violent offenders.
Sentences for federal drug crimes are based on the quantity of the drugs involved, not the individual's role in the crime. The emphasis on quantity rather than the role of the offender, along with the conspiracy laws, too often result in disproportionate sentencing even for first-time offenders such as the Garrisons.
Ms. Garrison has since become an advocate to change the sentencing laws – despite the fact that any alteration would not retroactively change the fate of her only twin sons. She said she aims to help the sons and daughters who have been victims of the law which has claimed many – whether innocent or guilty – as a result of the racial disparity and collateral consequences that arise from the unfair sentencing guidelines.
"I hope I can be halfway effective in helping," said Ms. Garrison. "It's not getting better; it seems to be getting worse."
2 comments:
There are several issues at hand with this posting . . .
first off, as for the governments' ruling . .I'm not impressed. It's long overdue and only done because they added up the costs to keep brotha's behind bars versus not.
The Garrison Brother's story is a prime example of the constant racism in America, especially within the Judicial System. We can only find hope in knowing that all things work together for the good of those who love the lord and are called according to his purpose. I'd love to hear about the Garrison Brothers in the near future when they are out doing WELL, GIVING BACK, and HELPING OTHERS found in similar situations.
In our society justice for African Americans will never be equal opportunities. But yet whites question why African Americans act this way. For one they are not blind to the fact that its always the African Americans that society makes an example out of when it comes to anything. When in fact the Whites do more wrong then African Americans but some how its always covered up or hidden. The Garrison Brother's bring true meaning to racism. The Whites could not stand to see two intelligent young men brought up with so much wisdom, respect, and knowledge attend Harvard University and become successful. So they started plotting this injustice act immediately and waited until both brothers finish Howard University to destroy their careers. You see what they fell to realize is that you make have cheated them out of justice, freedom, and career opportunities. But you can never take their wisdom and knowledge because that has already been install for life. You see White people also fell to realize that some African Americans will always strive for success, achievement, and understanding regardless of where they are at. Whites may have destroyed these to brothers from the outside but still in the inside they still continue to thrive for success by reaching out to others and letting them know that they still stand a chance and its never to late to start over. So White people you can beat us down in the justice system but still we will always rise. To the Garrison brothers always believe in yourself because no man can ever take that from you. For all African Americans never let the White man corrupt your mind to the point of confessing to something that you didn't do because you may get freedom or reduce time but remember you just sign a contract of giving the White man your ownership.
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