TONIGHT
TONIGHT TALKING ABOUT THE SUDDEN IMPACT OF THE BIPARTISAN
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM BILL.
MANDATORY MINIMUM PRISON
SENTEN4@CES FOR NONVIOLENT DRUG
OFFENDERS ARE BEING REDUCED,
FINALLY.
FINALLY.
FINALLY. THE MEASURE PASSED BY THE HOUSE
AND SENATE PRESIDENT TRUMP
SIGNED THE BILL THIS DECEMBER.
>> WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE PUT IN
JAIL FOR 54 YEARS AND HE DID
SOMETHING AND THERE'S NO CHANCE
OF HIM COMING OUT TOTALLY
NONVIOLENT BUT THERE WAS A
4@
NONVIOLENT BUT THERE WAS A VIOLATION OF A RULE, -- SPINK
THE BILL IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
TO REFORMING OUR CRIMINAL 4@
JUSTICE SYSTEM.
JUSTICE SYSTEM. MASS INCARCERATION IN AMERICA
IS A CRISIS AND DOES NOT MAKE
US SAFER.
US SAFER.
US SAFER. >> THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTS
TODAY FOUR MONTHS 4@AFTER THE L
WENT INTO EFFECT MORE THEN 1000
FEDERAL INMATES HAVE BEEN
GRANTED A 4@SENTENCE REDUCTION
FOR OFFENSES INVOLVING CRACK
COCAINE. 4@
COCAINE. 4@ 91% OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAD
BENEFITED FROM THE REDUCTION
ARE BLACK.
ARE BLACK. MORE THEN 10% OF THE PRISONERS
WHO BENEFITED ARE FROM VIRGINIA@
. 4@1.5% 4% FROM STATE OF
MARYLAND AND ABOUT A HALF% FROM
THE NATION'S CAPITAL HERE IN
THE DISTRICT. 4@
FOR DECADES THE DISPARITY
BETWEEN CRACK AND POWDER
COCAINE SENTENCING UNFAIRLY
IMPACTED LOWER INCOME BLACK AND
BROWN OFFENDERS.
BROWN OFFENDERS. CRIMINAL JUSTICE OF REFORM
LEAVENING THE FIELD SOMEWHAT
BECOMING WAY TOO LATE FOR MANY
PEOPLE WHO SERVED ALL OF THAT
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. THEY WERE ARRESTED AND
CONVICTED AND SENT TO PRISON
UNDER MANDATORY MINIMUM
SENTENCES SUCH A GRADUATE.
20 YEARS AGO THEY TOLD ME THEY
WERE INNOCENT.
WERE INNOCENT. TO THIS DAY THE GARRISON TWINS4
THOSE WHO KNOW THEM BEST, HAVE
NEVER WAVERED FROM THAT
POSITION.
POSITION.
POSITION. HERE IS THEIR STORY.
>> GOOD EVENING YOU ARE ON THE
AIR.
AIR.
AIR. >>
AIR. >> IF THE MOTHER FEELS THEY 4@A
INNOCENT4@4@.
INNOCENT4@4@. >> THE BUZZ ON HOWARD
UNIVERSITY RADIO ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED TO RECENT GRADUATES
AND IDENTICAL TWINS LAWRENCE
AND LAMONT GARRISON.
>> TIME SIGNIFICANT MORE
IMPORTANT I WANT MY CONVICTION
OVERTURNED.
OVERTURNED. >> Reporter: THE GARRISON TWINS
GRADUATED WITH POLITICAL
SCIENCE DEGREES LAST MAY.
TONIGHT THEY ARE INMATES AT THE
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL COMPLEX IN
ELLINGWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA
ELLINGWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA SENTENCED TO 15 AND A HALF IN
19 AND A HALF YEARS FOR THEIR
ROLES IN A COCAINE CONSPIRACY.
>> MOST TIME TRYING TO ADJUST
TO THINGS TAKE THE BETTER HALF
OF YOUR DAY.
DOING THINGS KEEP YOUR MIND OFF
THE TIME4@.
THE TIME4@. >> THEY HAD NO PREVIOUS ARREST
RECORDS IN THE GARRISON TWINS 4@
MAINTAINED THEIR INNOCENCE IN
THIS CASE FROM THE BEGINNING
CLAIMING FREQUENT VISITS TO A
CAPITOL HEIGHTS GARAGE TO CHECK
ON A BOTCHED REPAIR JOB TO
THEIR UNCLE'S DAMAGED CAR, N4@O
TO BUY DRUGS.
A AN ADMITTED COCAINE KINGPIN
WAS USING THE SHOP AS A FRONT
FOR MAJOR COCAINE OPERATING.
THE SHOP OPERATOR EVENTUALLY
RESTED BY THE F VI.
>> HE FIXED 4@THE CAR 4@I'M
SUPPOSED TO NOTICE THE PAINT
MATCH THINGS LIKE THAT THAT'S
ALL I'M SUPPOSED TO NOTICE ON
THIS POST A NOTICE THAT THEY
WERE BRINGING DRUGS OUT OF THE
SHOP I NEVER NOTICED ANYTHING
LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT. >> HE NAMED THE GARRISON TWINS
AND OTHERS AS PARTNERS IN HIS
CRIME AS PART OF A DEAL
PROSECUTORS HE GOT UP WITH THE
36 MONTH SENTENCE.
WE CONTACTED JURORS FROM THE
GARRISON TRIAL WHICH WAS HELD
IN ALEXANDRIA FEDERAL CODE.
THE FIRST ARRESTED WE DIDN'T
SEE A DIRECT LINK TO WRONGDOING
4@BUT WE FEEL IT WAS A STRONG
CASE FOR CONSPIRACY.
THE GARRISON TWINS WERE SIMPLY
IN PLACES WERE INNOCENT PEOPLE
SHOULD NOT BE.
>> USUALLY SPEAKING4@ SUBURBAN4
MIDDLE-CLASS LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN THAT MAY HAVE NEVER
BEEN 4@AROUND CRIME ALL THEIR
LIVES. IF YOU WALK PAST IT AND
GO IN, CONDUCTOR BUSINESS GET
YOUR CAR FIXED NO PROBLEM.
I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS GOING ON
.
.
. >>
. >> UNDER MANDATORY MINIMUM LAW
THE JUDGE HAD NO SAY IN THE
SENSING SAID JUROR NUMBER 3 IF
THEY GOT 34 YEARS IT WAS
CERTAINLY HIGHER THEN 4@WHAT
ANYBODY ELSE GOT.
THEY WERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE
PYRAMID.
PYRAMID.
PYRAMID. THE SENTENCES COMPLETELY OUT OF
PROPORTION TO THE CRIME.
KAREN GARRISON PASSED ON THE
COURTROOM AFTER HEARING THE
SENTENCE TO A COMBINED 35 YEARS
IN PRISON.
IN PRISON. >> I KNOW THE PROCESS MAY BE
SOME YEARS.
SOME YEARS. MAYBE THREE YE4@ARS MAYBE TWO
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. I
YEARS. I SEE ON DIFFERENT CASES I'VE
READ A LOT OF YEARS MORE THEN
THREE.
THREE.
THREE. >>
THREE. >> Reporter: COULD THEY HANDLE
IT?
IT?
IT? CAN
IT? CAN YOU HANDLE IT?
SPENT IF I'M ALIVE WE CAN ALL
HANDLE IT.
HANDLE IT. >> JOINING ME IN STUDIO RIGHT
NOW IS KAREN GARRISON MOTHER OF
LAWRENCE AND 4@LAMONT. 4@
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN 4@SENTENCED TO
PRINCE HOW ARE YOU DOING AFTER
SENSING?
SENSING?
SENSING? >> I HAVEN'T SEEN THE4@M IN A
LONG TIME BUT HURTS JUST THE
SAME.
SAME.
SAME. ST4@ILL BAD.
ST4@ILL BAD. STILL BAD4@ SPENT HOW LONG HAVE
THEY'VE BEEN HOME NOW.
>> LONG TIME LAWRENCE CAME4@ HO
IN 2009 I BELIEVE IT WAS,
LAMONT CAME HOME4@ MAYBE TWO 4@
YEARS LATER4@.
YEARS LATER4@. >> LAMONT GOT ADDITIONAL TIME
BECAUSE HE TOOK THE 4@STAND AND
TESTIFIED?
TESTIFIED? >> YOU HAD TO 4@MORTGAGE THE
HOUSE GET A REAL ATTORNEY
INSTEAD OF A COURT APPOINTED
ATTORNEY?
ATTORNEY?
ATTORNEY? IN HINDSIGHT?
IN HINDSIGHT? >> BAD DECISION.
BUT I FEEL UNLESS I HAD A
REALLY BIG HIGH-PROFILE LAWYER
I DON'T KNOW WHO IN VIRGINIA
WOULD BE AFRAID OF.
THEY WERE GOING ANYWAY4@. THEY
WERE GOING ANYWAY THAT IS THE
PLAN.
PLAN.
PLAN. >>
PLAN. >> 4@THEY REFUSE TO TAKE THE
CASE.
CASE.
CASE. >>
CASE. >> THEY WOULDN'T DO IT BECAUSE
THEY HAD NOTHING.
>> YOUR GRANDMOTHER, ANGEL,
UNCLE, CALLED JR. THEY 4@WENT O
ALL THOSE TRIPS TO DISNEYLAND.
>> EVERY OTHER WEEKEND.
>> THEY GOT QUALITY TIME WITH
THEM BEFORE THEY BOTH PASSED.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS
BIPARTISAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE BILL
, THE REFORM BILL?
>> SPEAKING ABOUT THE FIRST
STEP ACT, IT CAME WHEN I FIRST
HEARD ABOUT IT THEY WERE
PUTTING IT IN AND I OPPOSED IT.
>> BECAUSE?
>> BECAUSE? >> BECAUSE THEY HAD NO SYMPATHY
REFORM. YOU DIDN'T HAVE WHAT WE
REALLY NEEDED MORE THEN
ANYTHING WAS RETROACTIVITY FOR
THE 2010 FAIR SENTENCING ACT. 4@
AND PEOPLE GOT EXCITED BECAUSE
IT SAID REFORM AND 4@PRISON
REFORM MAKES THE RICH RICHER
BUT KEEPS US INCARCERATED.
>> THESE YOUNG MEN THEY HAVE
DEGREES FROM HOWARD UNIVERSITY,
TOOK SIX YEARS.
>> POLITICAL SCIENCE TIMOTHY
DI4@D INTERNSHIPS WITH FEDERAL
AGENCIES.
AGENCIES.
AGENCIES. AND YET CONVICTED FELON STILL?
WHAT DOES THAT DO TO ALL THAT
WORK THEY PUT INTO GET THOSE
DEGREES?
DEGREES?
DEGREES? >> IT KIND OF PUTS IT ON HOLD.
IT IS LIKE4@ A FACE YOU HAVE ON
THE SHELF YOU KNOW IT'S THERE
CAMINOS PRETTY BUT IT'S NOT
DOING ANYTHING.
DOING ANYTHING. >> ARE THEY HAVING PROBLEMS
GETTING BACK ON THEIR FEET?
>> NOW WE HAVE PLANS. WE
PLANNED AND PLANNED. 4@
LAWRENCE WOULD ALWAYS SAY PRAY
FOR THE BEST AND EXPECT THE
WORST.
WORST.
WORST. LAMONT WOULD SAY WE WILL PLAN
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. WE
THIS. WE HAVE A PLAN.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE PLAN A, B AND
KEEP GOING DOWN BECAUS4@E THE
KEEP GETTING KNOCKED AROUND BUT
BE DETERMINED.
BE DETERMINED. >> 4@OF THE ANOMALIES?
EXCEPTIONS IN TERMS OF INNOCENCE
.
.
. >>
. >> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. >>
>> NO. >> EVERYBODY INCLUDING -- IS
CONVINCED THERE INNOCENT?
I HAD A GREAT 4@D.C. COP LOOK
INTO THE CASE.
>> 4@BRADLEY SAID HE INVESTIGAT
UP TO TWO YEARS LATER AND FOUND
NOTHING.
NOTHING.
NOTHING. HE SAID THE ONLY THING HE FOUND
IS THAT THEY KNEW THEY WERE
AFRAID OF ME4@ AND THAT THEY
PROBABLY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING
BECAUSE THEY KNEW I WOULD WALK
DOWN ON THEM OR SOMETHING BUT
BEING INNOCENT MEANT NOTHING,
ONLY TO US.
IT MEANT SOMETHING TO US. 4@
BUT NOT TO 4@ANYONE ELSE.
THEY PUT THEM IN A