HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KWCH) — A Manhattan man is walking free after serving nearly three years of his eight-year sentence. Deshaun Durham was convicted at the age of 21 for possession with intent to distribute 2.4 pounds of marijuana, a non-violent cannabis crime. On Nov. 7, Governor Laura Kelly commuted his sentence.
12 News reporter Gabriela Hernandez was in Hutchinson on Friday morning as Durham was released from the Hutchison Correctional Facility. He was greeted by his mother, Brandi Davis and family, Donte West, a cannabis exoneree and activist with the Last Prisoner Project, and his attorney Barry Grissom, who both helped Durham file his clemency petition for release.
“This is a rare decision by Governor Kelly to overturn the Prison Review Board’s rejection of Durham’s clemency application and bring him home for the holidays,” said a release from the Last Prisoner Project.
Deshaun said his first plan is to enjoy a nice meal with his family, after which he will begin advocating for others in similar situations. Davis shared happy yet emotional tears as Durham walked free for the first time in years. They said it all feels surreal.
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