Angela Wright, 43, has served approximately 13 years of a 30-year sentence for convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute. Criminal justice advocates say she is a deserving candidate for clemency.
“My son, Brad, is my number one priority,” Wright told the CAN-DO Foundation. “I want to make up for the years I’ve been absent.”
She said she was convicted on “ghost dope,” which are not drugs physically found on the defendant but an amount of drugs anyone said they received from or because of her.
In her letter to President Donald Trump, Wright expressed remorse and regret for her actions.
“To simply say ‘sorry’ for violating laws would not even come close to expressing the deep lifelong remorse I feel,” Wright said. “I take full responsibility for the poor and selfish decisions I have made in my life.”
Wright said her then-boyfriend, already in prison at the time, testified against her in exchange for a sentence reduction.
“I received more time than anyone else in the conspiracy but did much, much less,” she said. “Everyone has been released from prison including my boyfriend, but most of them have returned to prison on new charges.”
Although Wright lost her freedom, she feels she gained a quality education and has become a better person. “Providing light to others in this dark environment keep me going when my mind says ‘give up,” she said.
If the president grants her clemency, Wright has bold plans to give back to the community. First, she plans on publishing her book and seeking employment at a private school since she has a degree in Early Childhood Education. She will live with her mother and son.
“I also have a goal I will achieve to create a non-profit organization, gearing its efforts toward children whose parents are incarcerated,” Wright said. “Most of all I want to volunteer to help prisoners who are left behind…obtain their freedom.”
