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Joshua Bevill, the founder of The Justice Project, began serving his 30-year federal sentence at one of the most volatile and violent maximum-security U.S. penitentiaries, colloquially referred to as "Bloody Beaumont." There, he found solace in the law library, his sanctuary amid the extreme violence and chaos.
During his time in prison, Joshua immersed himself in every facet of federal sentencing law and developed a knack for identifying and articulating deficiencies in prisoners' cases. He became an exceptional storyteller, adept at unraveling and distilling a case into a narrative that captures the injustice and humanizes the prisoner.
While learning the nuances of federal sentencing law, Joshua quickly identified an inefficiency in the system: prisoners do not have the right to an attorney during the post-conviction stage.
Consider that in the federal system each year, it is during the post-conviction stage that new precedential legal cases, U.S. Sentencing Guideline amendments, and/or changes made by Congress occur. These changes can reduce prisoners' sentences by many years, if not decades. There are also changes of fact, such as terminal illness and family circumstances, that open the door for compassionate release. (And let's not forget about clemency.) Also, while some sentences are entirely legal, they can still be excessively harsh or disproportionate to the crime committed, hence the need for Clemency.
However, when there is a change, the warden does not simply open the door for the prisoner and release them. Instead, it requires complex, highly detailed, and time-consuming litigation, which is usually vehemently opposed by skilled prosecutors.
Here is the problem: suppose a prisoner has no money to hire an attorney, which the overwhelming majority do not. In that case, the layman prisoner is left to cobble together a legal brief to litigate in federal court on their own. This typically does not end well for the prisoner. (Notably, although there is access to free legal labor in many cases, the demand far outstrips the supply.)
Prisoners are essentially punished for being poor.
Joshua believes every deserving federal prisoner who has a promising shot at a sentence reduction should have access to free, high-quality legal labor.
He also notes that improvements in the
system occur to ameliorate unjust sentences stemming from systemic flaws. It is tragic for an eligible prisoner to squander a golden opportunity to have their life restored simply because they lack financial resources.
A poignant example is Alice Marie Johnson, who was supposed to die in federal prison, facing a life sentence without parole. Her case gained widespread attention when Kim Kardashian personally visited the Oval Office to advocate for her release, resulting in a commutation of her sentence. This highlights the complexities involved in undoing an unjust sentence and underscores the need for well-deserving prisoners to receive the help they require.
As such, The Justice Project team will continue to tackle each case with tenacity and grit, in an effort to help deserving federal prisoners.
The Prison Diaries
Read Joshua’s Posts
