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Friends,
I’d like to take a moment to celebrate the release of Ronald McKeithen, an Alabama man sentenced to life without parole for a first-degree robbery – in which no physical harm occurred – 37 years ago. Ronald is one of the many victims of Alabama’s draconian Habitual Felony Offenders Act, mandating life without parole for anyone convicted of a felony if they have three prior felonies on their record, regardless of whether they were nonviolent crimes or how long ago they occurred. This past summer, Alabama Appleseed took on Ronald’s case and, as of December, successfully won his release. They have since been helping him adjust to daily life in the midst of a global pandemic after 37 years inside a correctional facility. Report Finds Black Girls are Subject to Discriminatory School Disciplinary Action in Kansas, Massachusetts, and AlabamaWASHINGTON, DC, September 2, 2020 – Three members of the Appleseed Network, a non-profit network of independent organizations in the United States and Mexico working towards social and legal justice, today announced the release of their comprehensive report, “Protecting Girls of Color from the School-to-Prison Pipeline,” the final product of a year-long research project examining disparities in school disciplinary treatment for Black girls in Massachusetts, Alabama, and Kansas. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, an international law firm, served as pro bono partner throughout the project.
As we come to a close on Appleseed’s 25th anniversary year, we look back at achievements and accomplishments from around the Network. In this issue of our newsletter, you can find updates about our 25th Anniversary celebration, our Seeds of Learning event in September 2019, a spotlight on the work of Alabama Appleseed, and much more.
We look forward to another 25 (plus) years of developing sustainable solutions to social justice issues. We rely on our supporters to be able to continue our work - we urge you to consider becoming a donor and help us achieve our goals of making society more just and equitable for all. Find the full newsletter below: We are proud to congratulate Carla Crowder, Executive Director of Alabama Appleseed, for her role in the recent release of Alvin Kennard from prison in Alabama where he had been serving a life sentence without parole for robbing a bakery of $50 thirty-six years ago.
Last month, Carla stood with Alvin as the judge righted this wrong and resentenced this 58-year-old man to time served. The courtroom erupted with joy from the crowd gathered to support a man who previously had been condemned to die in prison. |
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The Appleseed Foundation sows the seeds of justice by launching new Appleseed centers and supporting collaborations throughout the Appleseed Network. Our EIN number is 52-1835698.
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