The pen to right history
The Last Prisoner project and McCann New York launch a moving campaign to help liberate those incarcerated for non-violent cannabis offences.
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The Last Prisoner Project, a national, non-partisan, non-profit organisation dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform, announced today the launch of a new campaign developed in partnership with McCann New York, that is focused on delivering justice for those serving time for non-violent, cannabis-related crimes.
The Pen to Right History urges President Biden and governors across the country to free the thousands of people who remain behind bars in the U.S. due to non-violent cannabis-related charges. The pen with which family and friends of those incarcerated write their stories and urge politicians to release their loved ones is being symbolically passed to the President to sign clemency orders and “right” this long unaddressed wrong.
The campaign, directed by Ritesh Gupta through Craft New York, launches with a docu-style film chronicling the story of Richeda Ashmeade, a law student and poet who was just twelve years old when her father, Richardo Ashmeade, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on cannabis charges. The film highlights not just the inherent unfairness of Richardo’s incarceration, but how the pain and suffering of the injustice meted to him has rippled throughout his family.
Credits
powered by
- Agency McCann/New York
- Production Company Craft New York (In-House at McCann/New York)
- Director Ritesh Gupta
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Credits
powered by
- Agency McCann/New York
- Production Company Craft New York (In-House at McCann/New York)
- Director Ritesh Gupta
- Director of Content Adam Hirsch
- Executive Producer Zoe Greene
- Editing/Post Production/VFX NO6
- Finishing Producer Mark Reyes
- Head of Post Production Laura Molinaro
- Editor Ryan Bukowski
- Audio Post Revolve Audio
- Senior Audio Engineer Paul Weiss
- Color Company 3/New York
- Senior Producer Kevin Breheny
- Color Producer Ryan Moncrief
- Colorist Tim Masick
- Music JSM Music
- Executive Music Producer Jeff Fiorello
- CCO/CEO Joel Simon
- Chief Creative Officer Shayne Millington
- Chief Creative Officer Pierre Lipton
- Executive Creative Director/Head of Art Cristina Rodriguez Reina
- Executive Creative Director Pete Johnson
- DP Lara Aqel
- Production Designer Zoe Taylor
- Group Creative Director Brad Soulas
- Group Creative Director Kristine Salm
- Associate Creative Director Camilla Ciappina
- Associate Creative Director Dan Trimarchi
- Design Director Mook Phoungbut
- Designer Chocho Jihye Han
- Producer Kelly Ondris
- Chief Production Officer Aaron Kovan
- Senior Producer MJ Soler
- Producer Katie Henry
- Audio Mixer Marque DeWinter
- Junior Producer Erin Michelitsch
- Senior Music Producer Colleen Dahlstrom
Credits
powered by
- Agency McCann/New York
- Production Company Craft New York (In-House at McCann/New York)
- Director Ritesh Gupta
- Director of Content Adam Hirsch
- Executive Producer Zoe Greene
- Editing/Post Production/VFX NO6
- Finishing Producer Mark Reyes
- Head of Post Production Laura Molinaro
- Editor Ryan Bukowski
- Audio Post Revolve Audio
- Senior Audio Engineer Paul Weiss
- Color Company 3/New York
- Senior Producer Kevin Breheny
- Color Producer Ryan Moncrief
- Colorist Tim Masick
- Music JSM Music
- Executive Music Producer Jeff Fiorello
- CCO/CEO Joel Simon
- Chief Creative Officer Shayne Millington
- Chief Creative Officer Pierre Lipton
- Executive Creative Director/Head of Art Cristina Rodriguez Reina
- Executive Creative Director Pete Johnson
- DP Lara Aqel
- Production Designer Zoe Taylor
- Group Creative Director Brad Soulas
- Group Creative Director Kristine Salm
- Associate Creative Director Camilla Ciappina
- Associate Creative Director Dan Trimarchi
- Design Director Mook Phoungbut
- Designer Chocho Jihye Han
- Producer Kelly Ondris
- Chief Production Officer Aaron Kovan
- Senior Producer MJ Soler
- Producer Katie Henry
- Audio Mixer Marque DeWinter
- Junior Producer Erin Michelitsch
- Senior Music Producer Colleen Dahlstrom
Through its website, digital, social and earned media, campaign invites those who have been similarly impacted by cannabis incarceration to share their stories and ask government officials to pardon non-violent cannabis convicts.
"Growing up in this country with a parent in prison makes it hard to grow up. But despite that, I did. I’m in law school. I’m an accomplished poet. I’m an advocate. Who I am today defies what statistics say I should be. But what does it mean when a child growing up to be educated, ambitious and empathetic is an act of defiance.” wrote Richeda Ashemeade.
Last Prisoner Project is aiming to deliver real justice to these people by pointing out a commonly overlooked hypocrisy – while recreational and medicinal cannabis usage become increasingly popular and legalised throughout the United States, tens of thousands of Americans remain incarcerated for convictions like Richardo’s.
People of colour are especially vulnerable to this particular injustice, being four times more likely to be imprisoned for these offenses, which upends communities and destroys their lives and those of their families, friends and loved ones.
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