Today the founder of the CAN-DO Foundation, Amy Povah, joins Felony Friday to share her remarkable story. The CAN-DO Foundation is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit foundation that advocates clemency for all non-violent drug offenders. When Amy was 28 years old, she was convicted on a conspiracy charge and received a 24 year sentence. She received such a harsh sentence due to the fact that she refused to cooperate with federal officials who were attempting to infiltrate her then husband's massive ecstasy distribution ring. Amy never stopped fighting for her freedom after imprisonment. She attracted the attention of several media outlets and started a massive letter writing campaign, which led seventeen members of the House and Senate to write letters in support of Amy’s clemency. Justice prevailed when President Clinton granted Amy’s clemency on July 7th, 2000 and she was set free.
After Amy was granted her freedom she immediately started fighting injustice in the criminal justice system. Amy founded the CAN-DO Foundation and advocated for clemency for many of the women that she served time with. The organization has expanded since then and played a significant role in creating the wave of pardons granted by President Barack Obama in the final months of his term. Presidential pardon recipient and Felony Friday guest Israel Torres received assistance and support from the CAN-DO Foundation. In fact, it was the interview with Israel that got the attention of this outstanding organization and is the reason why we have today's incredible episode.
You can find the show notes page >here
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