In the fall, California Institution for Men (CIM) hosted a commutation workshop for 30 incarcerated people serving life-without-parole (LWOP) sentences.
Attorneys with the University of Southern California’s Post-Conviction Justice Program held the commutation workshop on the CIM Facility C. Also attending were The Prism Way, a Governor’s Office representative, and CIM staff.
University professors and state-bar certified law students make up the justice program. Since 1981, the organization has been fighting for incarcerated people and are considered experts in the parole process.
Over the past 25 years, justice program professors and students have represented hundreds of clients at life-sentence parole hearings.
The Prism Way was established to assist in the restoration of full civil and human rights for justice-impacted individuals.
The justice program and The Prism Way believe every incarcerated person who is sentenced to LWOP deserves to understand the commutation process, know their rights, and have the tools necessary to become eligible for a commutation and parole.
Attendees of the workshop were also given an opportunity to showcase their talents, such as visual arts or writings, as well as highlight the dogs some of them are training through the Pawz Behind Wallz program.
The LWOP participants said one of their biggest takeaways was realizing they were not forgotten.
By Lt. Paul Ybarra, AA/PIO
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