Last Prisoner Project

06/18/2026

Before cannabis was a billion-dollar industry, it was a lifeline.

During the AIDS crisis, when the government turned its back, q***r and BIPOC communities built underground networks of care, using cannabis to ease pain, restore dignity, and keep each other alive. Then, they watched an industry boom while their neighbors stayed locked up.

The War on Drugs was never really about drugs. Nixon's own officials admitted it was designed to target Black Americans and silence dissent. Q***r, trans, Black, and Brown communities bore the highest cost, criminalized for the same plant that now generates billions in tax revenue.

That history is inseparable from the work we do at Last Prisoner Project. Every person still incarcerated for cannabis is part of this story.

This Pride Month, we invite you to learn more and watch the award-winning series Loud & Proud, made by . Link in our bio.

06/17/2026

🌿 Join us in Amsterdam this Saturday for a special benefit in support of Last Prisoner Project! 🌿

We're grateful to our friends at Sensi Seeds and King Size for hosting this gathering at the Hash Ma*****na & H**p Museum. Together, we're raising awareness and support for individuals still impacted by cannabis prohibition while celebrating the progress our movement has made.

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors:
✨ Delisioso
✨ Flower Mill
✨ High Times

If you're in Amsterdam, come connect with the community, learn more about our mission, and help us continue the work of bringing people home and rebuilding lives.

📍 Hash Ma*****na & H**p Museum, Amsterdam
📅 Saturday

06/15/2026

06/15/2026

Last Prisoner Project has been honored to partner with@nativerootsdispo as the benefactor of their annual charity golf tournament for the fifth year in a row. This year's tournament raised over $50,000 for our mission, and our Executive Director, Stephanie Shepard, was in attendance to share the story of our work and what's next.

Thank you to the Native Roots team and all event sponsors for helping advance our mission to free every last cannabis prisoner!

06/11/2026

Recently, the Effie Awards recognized the campaign "The Pen to Right History" with two golds and one silver. We're honored because this campaign was never just about creativity. It was about action.

When states legalize cannabis while thousands remain incarcerated for the same, the injustice is undeniable. "The Pen to Right History" gave that injustice a name and gave people a way to fight back.

This award belongs to our constituents, our advocates, and everyone who picked up that pen.

The fight isn't over. It's just getting started.

06/05/2026

After serving 10.5 years of a 16-year sentence for a non-violent cannabis offense, Jerry Austin is finally home. 💚

Jerry was just 26 years old when he was incarcerated. Now 35, he has spent most of his adult life behind bars—separated from his two sons, who are now teenagers. He says missing their childhoods has been the hardest part of his incarceration.

Before his arrest in 2016, Jerry was a devoted father deeply involved in his children’s lives, from school activities to sports and everyday moments. At the time of his arrest, he had already been removed from any illegal activity for years and was running a successful landscaping business while building a stable life for his family.

While incarcerated, Last Prisoner Project supported Jerry through commissary assistance and provided two family support grants to help support his children during his incarceration. Now that Jerry is free, he is also eligible for an LPP reentry grant to support his transition home and reunification with his family.

“After nearly 10 and a half years locked up for a non-violent ma*****na conspiracy, I’m finally back home with my sons. I’m really grateful for all the support LPP gave me and so many others during incarceration. I hope everyone going through this gets the same kind of help and support while they’re inside.”

Jerry’s story is a reminder of the lasting human cost of cannabis prohibition—not just for those incarcerated, but for the families and children forced to grow up without them.

Welcome home, Jerry.

06/01/2026

Roberto Ramos recently graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a minor in Business Management. 🎓

After serving nearly 14 years of a 21-year sentence for cannabis, Roberto was released in 2024 with the help of LPP’s legal intervention. The road home was not easy — following his release, he spent 6 months in a halfway house before transitioning to home confinement with an ankle monitor. Despite these challenges, Roberto remained focused on rebuilding his life and creating a brighter future.

Now, he’s preparing for his next chapter and plans to begin graduate school this fall to pursue a Master’s degree in Communication.

While Roberto was incarcerated, LPP supported him through commissary assistance, legal advocacy, and a reentry grant upon his release. Watching him thrive in his reentry journey is a powerful reminder of the impact that support, opportunity, and second chances can have.

We are so proud of Roberto and all that he has accomplished. His story is proof that people are more than their convictions — and that with determination and community support, success is possible.

05/29/2026

Today, we celebrate the full freedom of Donte Brooks. After being transferred to a halfway house in October 2025, Donte was finally released on May 13. Donte is finally free.

Born and raised in Washington, DC, Donte is a devoted father of five who served more than 7.5 years of a 9-year sentence for a non-violent cannabis conviction. Throughout his incarceration, he remained deeply committed to personal growth and transformation — taking classes through Howard and Georgetown University, completing cognitive and emotional development courses, and expanding his culinary arts education.

During his incarceration, Last Prisoner Project provided commissary support and family support grants for his children. LPP also coordinated pro bono legal assistance, providing more than 60 hours of legal support valued at $28,500 and helping file two clemency petitions on his behalf. Following his release, Donte also received a reentry grant from LPP to support his transition home and help him build a strong foundation for the next chapter of his life.

Today is a celebration of Donte’s resilience, perseverance, and the bright future ahead of him.

Welcome home, Donte. Your community is proud of you, and this next chapter is yours. 💚

If stories like Donte’s move you, please consider donating to Last Prisoner Project. Your support helps us continue providing legal aid, reentry assistance, family support, and hope to cannabis prisoners and their loved ones across the country. Together, we can make sure cannabis prisoners have the support they deserve.

05/27/2026

Blake walked off home confinement for the first time since his arrest in November 2018. This year, he spent Mother's Day with his mom. The woman he's described as his biggest supporter and closest friend through every year of what he's been through. He's 31 years old now and was 23 when it all began.

In 2018, Blake was indicted in the Western District of Missouri for conspiracy to distribute cannabis and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was sentenced to 120 months, ten years. He ultimately served 7.5 years in prison, followed by 6 months behind bars and 16 months on home confinement.

During those years, Blake didn't stop moving forward. He completed a 4,000-hour medical support dog trainer certification program. He enrolled in college. And when he was released, he didn't slow down; he's now pursuing a bachelor's degree in finance at the University of Missouri, just wrapped up another semester, and is working full-time this summer.

Last Prisoner Project has been in Blake's corner since 2022.

Our staff attorney, Liz Budnitz dedicated 120 hours of pro bono legal work, valued at $51,600, fighting for him across two compassionate release motions, two clemency petitions, and direct advocacy with the White House. We submitted six letters of support on his behalf. Both CR motions were denied. His first clemency petition was denied on January 20, 2025. His second case was administratively closed upon his release to freedom on May 7, 2026.

Blake said it best himself, in his own words written while he was still inside:
"Although the time I have been gone has not been easy, I have grown mentally and matured tremendously. I have used my time to learn as much as I can."

Welcome home, Blake. You've earned everything that comes next.

05/25/2026

Since 2019, Last Prisoner Project's Cannabis Justice Initiative has delivered nearly 18,000 hours of pro bono legal work, valued at over $12.1 million, to fight for people whose lives have been upended by unjust cannabis convictions.

400 attorneys, 76 law firms, 247 filings, and 51 people at home.
That's 360 years and 9 life sentences gone through clemency, compassionate release, resentencing, and more.

These aren't just numbers. This is fathers at dinner tables. Mothers at school pickups. People are rebuilding lives that the system tried to take away permanently.

The legal community has shown what's possible when it lends its power to those who need it most. We're not done.

Visit our website to learn how you can stand with us in our fight for justice.

Link in bio.