>>
>> IF
>> IF YOU'RE JUST TUNING IN THANKS FOR 4@JOINING US.
WE ARE UPDATING THE STORY OF
LAWRENCE LAMONT GARRISON,
SENTENCED TO PRISON UNDER
MANDATORY MINIMUMS FOR DRUG
CHAR4@GES CONVICTIONS. THEY
JOINTLY LIVE IN STUDIO.
LAWRENCE, LAMONT I KNOW YOU ARE
STILL4@ INNOCENT4@4@. HOW MUCH
DID YOU DO?
>> I DID 11 YEARS NINE MONTHS.
>> ALMOST ALL OF THE SENTENCE?
>> NO LESSONS WAS REDUCED BY 4@
MONTHS.
MONTHS.
MONTHS. BECAUSE OF THE FIRST WAVE OF
REDUCTIONS4@ MADE RETROACTIVE4@
>> LAMONT?
>> LAMONT? >> 13 YEARS 235 MONTHS, 19 YEARS
. 19 AND A HALF YEARS.
>> YOU DID ADDITIONAL TIME.
>> OBSTRUCTION4@ FOR JUSTICE
BECAUSE THE SAID THE JURY DID 4@
NOT BELIEVE ME WHEN I 4@TOLD MY
SIDE OF THE STORY SO I GOT
UNDER THE CITIZEN GUIDELINES.
>> HOW HAVE YOU ADJUSTED COMING
HOME?
HOME?
HOME? HOW
HOME? HOW YOU DOING?
>> I'M DOIN4@G WELL. IT4@ 4@TOO
TIME THINGS WILL KIND OF FAST
WHEN I FIRST CAME HOME BUT
HAVING A MOTH4@ER THAT IS ACTIV
SHE'S BEEN ACTIVE FOR4@ 21 YEAR
SPENT YOUR MOTHER IS ONE 4@OF T
TOUGHEST, MOST DEDICATED, MOST
HUMBLE INDIVIDUALS I'VE EVER
MET.
MET.
MET. >>
MET. >> MY MOM SHE WAS FIGHTING.
FROM THE DAY SHE GOT OFF THE
COURTROOM FLOOR SHE FOUGHT
SPENT HOW YOU 4@DO ALL THAT IN
PRISON TIME?
PRISON TIME? >> KNOWING YOU ARE PREPARED FOR
YOUR COME BACK.
NUMBERS NOT LETTERS I DIDN'T
HAVE A LIFE SENTENCE SO I KNEW
ONE DAY I WAS 4@4@GOING TO R4@E
YOU GOT TO PREPARE FOR THAT
SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO PREPARE
FOR NOTHING ELSE TO DO IN
PRISON BUT PREPARE.
>> YOU HUNDRED DEGREES BE ABLE
TO USE THEM IN PRISON?
>> MOST DEFINITELY.
I WAS HAD LAW CLERK IN
MANCHESTER, FOR SIX YEARS.
I LEARNED THE LAW LIBRARY
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IN TURN
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. WE
THERE. WE HAD MY DEGREE IN POLITICAL
SCIENCE PRETTY MUCH SO IT WAS
SECOND NATURE REALLY4@. 4@
>> YOU ARE OUT NOW,4@ HAVE YOUR
DEGREE BUT YOU ALSO HAVE THOSE
CONVICTIONS.
CONVICTIONS. ARE YOU AT THE BACK OF THE
LINE, STARTING OUT, MIDDLE OF
THE LINE?
THE LINE?
THE LINE? COLLEG4@E-EDUCATED PEOPLE.
COLLEG4@E-EDUCATED PEOPLE. HAVING NOT FELONY4@ CONVICTION
WHAT DOES THAT DO TO WHAT
YOU'RE TRYING TO DO TO BRING
YOUR LIVES BACK TOGETHER?
4@
YOUR LIVES BACK TOGETHER? >> IT MAY HAMPER SOME HASN'T
HAMPERED US.
HAMPERED US. IT IS ALWAYS IN THE BACK OF
YOUR MIND YOU GOT THE DEGREE
VIDEOS HAVE TO GET A JOB IN
DIFFERENT THINGS SO YOU KNOW
YOU MAKE YOUR OWN4@, YOU WRITE
YOUR OWN TICKET. 4@
I'M NOT PUTTING MYSELF IN A
SITUATION WHERE I HAVE TO ASK
SOMEBODY FOR A JOB.
MAKE MY OWN MONEY.
>> AND FEELING ANY SELF-PITY,
NO PORTNEY.
NO PORTNEY. >> OHNO. WE NEVER ASKED FOR A
HANDOUT.
HANDOUT.
HANDOUT. I HAVE NEVER SEEING TWO GUYS
SMILE AS MUCH WITH YOU LAUGHING
ABOUT I WOULD BE .
>>
IT
IT IT
IT IT WAS
IT IT WAS 4@AN EXPERIENCE I LEARNED A LOT A GREAT DEAL.
I LEARNED A LOT.
SO WHAT I LEARNED AND USED
EVENING FREE SOCIETY.
>> WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
>> EVERYTH4@ING IS NOT AS IT
SEEMS.
SEEMS.
SEEMS. WE
SEEMS. WE THOUGHT JURISPRUDENCE WAS
FAIR BUT IT IS NOT.
IT IS RACIALLY BIASED.
WASHINGTON A NEW YORK TIMES
ARTICLE SAY 91% OF -- WERE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN THAT'S
AFRICAN-AMERICAN THAT'S AMAZING.
AMAZING.
AMAZING. IN OUR TRAVELS -- SPINNING
THESE OTHER CASES LIKE YOURS
PEOPLE CONVICTED AND HAD SOLD
CRACK COCAINE?
CRACK COCAINE? >> LITTLE OR NOTHING AND 4@GOT
LIFE SENTENCES WHICH IS
RIDICULOUS.
RIDICULOUS. YOU THINK YOU'VE GOT IT BAD
THERE SOMEBODY WHO'S GOT IT
WORSE, ALWAYS.
WORSE, ALWAYS. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE
BIPARTISAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
REFORM BILL WHEN YOU HEAR 4@100
CASES, SENTENCE REDUCED 91% OF
THOSE AFRICAN-AMERICAN?
THOSE AFRICAN-AMERICAN? >> WE ALL KNOW IT IS A BAND-
AID.
AID.
AID. 4@
AID. MORE
AID. MORE CAN BE DONE MORE HAS TO BE
DONE.
DONE.
DONE. THANK GOD MY MOM -- IT HAS BEEN
GLAMOROUS NOW, KIM KARDASHIAN
AND THESE PEOPLE BUT SHE IS THE
PREDECESSOR.
PREDECESSOR. SHE MADE TH4@OSE MOVES POPULAR
CNN, THE STATION ANOTHER
CHANNELS.
CHANNELS.
CHANNELS. WHEN YOU TAKE UP A BANNER LIKE
THAT REMEMBER YOU ARE STANDING
ON SOMEONE'S SHOULDER.
>> BECAUSE YOU ARE IDENTICAL
TWINS YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO SPEND
TIME TOGETHER IS THAT A RULE?
WHAT HOW LONG BEFORE YOU CAN
STAY IN TOUCH?
SPENT THE WHOLE SENTENCE 13
YEARS AND WHEN HE WENT HOME I
WAS ABLE TO TALK TO MOM ON THE
PHONE BUT IT WASN'T ABLE TO
VISI4@T OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
13 YEARS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO
SEE HIM.