On today’s episode recent clemency recipient Ramona Brant joined the show to share her powerful story. In 1995, Ramona was sentenced to life in prison for a cocaine offense related to her then-boyfriend’s drug dealing. At her sentencing the judge said he was “shocked at the severity of the sentence,” BUT he had no legal discretion to sentence her to less time.  Ramona spent 20 years in prison, before finally receiving a commutation from President Obama in 2015, and was released to a halfway house in February 2016. In March 2016, Ramona met President Obama during a special lunch for commutation recipients, and participated in a White House briefing on clemency, where she shared her story. Ramona is now the PR Director of the CAN-DO Guardian Angel program that has paired over 40 Guardian Angels with approximately 5 [...] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices