IMPACT

In the News

News articles and media coverage of the Seattle Clemency Project, our clients, and the injustices that motivate our work.

On the Periphery: The Efficacy of Civil Legal Aid in Preventing Unjust Deportations

This report outlines the need for civil legal aid, specifically immigration post-conviction legal services and removal defense for immigrants facing deportation due to prior convictions. It illustrates this gap in the post-conviction infrastructure through historical context on the Southeast Asian refugee experience in Washington State and the stories of four individuals who faced deportation to Cambodia after coming to the United States as child refugees fleeing genocide. The report demonstrates the potential of post-conviction relief legal services for immigrants to advance justice for vulnerable populations, interrupt cycles of harm, and promote community restoration. The report concludes with recommendations for key officials and the Governor’s Office.

On the Periphery was published with support from the Office of Civil Legal Aid, which administers civil legal aid funding from Washington’s Community Reinvestment Plan fund. In 2023, the Redemption Project of Washington, a partnership between the Seattle Clemency Project and the Washington Defender Association, received Community Reinvestment grant funds to support its goal of supplying free direct representation to immigrants seeking post-conviction relief. This work is instrumental in preventing detainments and deportations that fracture families and communities.

A second look: Clemency in washington

This report examines the clemency process in Washington from 2012 to 2023. Specifically, it looks at petitions for commutation (the shortening of a petitioner’s sentence). The paper serves as a review of the types of petitions that are granted a hearing in front of the Clemency and Pardons Board, and those that are ultimately recommended for clemency to the governor.

This report was written by Thomas Brehmer, M.P.A.. This paper was made with the support of the Seattle Clemency Project. Editing and content direction was provided by Jennifer Smith and Kaitlyn Laibe. A special thanks is given to faculty members at the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy & Governance who provided technical assistance.

2024 Juvenile Parole Project Report

The Juvenile Parole Project allows University of Washington Law, Societies & Justice (UW LSJ) students to volunteer on early release petitions for people eligible for juvenile parole. To assist their petitioner, students are paired with pro bono attorneys. With support from the Seattle Clemency Project (SCP), students help their attorneys generate a community support narrative, plan for reentry, and visit the client in prison. This year, the project expanded to include clemency and resentencing petitions.

By partnering with the Juvenile Parole Project, SCP is extending its mission to pursue justice to include student volunteers. The partnership highlights the importance of connecting community members with the incarcerated population, identifying the growing disparities in access to legal services, and increasing awareness about the path to redemption and healing. More importantly, the project encourages students to put their education into practice and take on an active role in reforming the state’s criminal legal system.

2023 Impact report