Advocates for prisoners say White House officials have asked them for potential candidates for clemency, and they have offered dozens of names, NPR reports. The outreach came after President Trump’s recent spate of pardons and commutations, most of which were granted to public figures or individuals who had received a lot of media attention. The advocates, who declined to be identified, said they are now waiting for the next move from the White House, and it’s unclear what process the administration may adopt to manage these clemency requests. They said Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, along with White House counsel Don McGahn, are leading the effort to examine how the president will use his clemency power going forward.
Kushner has been spearheading the White House’s push for legislation that would offer incentives to prisoners to participate in training or vocational classes with a goal of reducing recidivism. One name that advocates have brought to the White House for consideration is Matthew Charles. Charles was released after serving more than two decades in prison for selling crack to an informant, but a federal court ruled that his 35-year sentence was wrongfully reduced and sent him back. Supporters of Charles argue he had been a model citizen during his release and he deserves to be free. So far, Trump has issued five pardons and two commutations. This month, Trump said he wanted to start to focus people who are not high-profile. He said, “I would get more thrill out of pardoning people that nobody knows…,” citing Alice Marie Johnson, who was sentenced to life in prison for a nonviolent drug charge. Trump commuted her sentence after meeting with reality TV star Kim Kardashian West, who lobbied for Johnson’s release.