Gwen Levi, a grandmother, sent back to prison after not answering her phone, can hug her love ones again as she was ordered immediate release from prison.
What We Know:
- Levi, 76, was sent back to prison after missing a phone call from her supervisor while she was in a computer processing class. Officials noticed her ankle monitor wasn’t at her home in Baltimore, MD, and proceeded to call her multiple times. They then arrested her days later and called the incident an “escape.”
- Levi is serving a 24-year prison sentence for conspiracy to sell at least a kilogram of heroin. She was released after 16 years as a part of former President Donald Trump’s attempt to curbed COVID-19 cases in the prison system. Close to 4,500 inmates were released under this mandate.
- U.S. District Judge Deborah C. Chasanow granted Levi a compassionate release on Tuesday, as she is recovering from lung cancer and is considered nonviolent. Chasanow believed Levi being locked up to finish out her sentence would serve her no purpose. She stated that “during [Levi’s] incarceration, she took many courses, worked and completed drug education” and was doing “well on home confinement.” Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott released a statement showing his support of Levi’s release and believes the criminal justice system should work harder at “rehabilitating offenders for successful reentry to society.”
- Many believed Levi’s arrest was uncalled for as she was not committing a crime. Kevin Ring, president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, called Levi’s arrest shameful and that she deserved to be home with family. He stated that “it’s time for President Joe Biden’s administration to ensure that the 4,000 people on home confinement get to stay home with their families, too.”
- Rapper Mysonne brought attention to Levi’s arrest on his Instagram page, asking his 534K followers to sign a petition to have her released. After her release, he thanked his followers for making sure Levi wasn’t forgotten.
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- Before leaving office, Trump signed a memo that “freed inmates” who had sentences that would extend past the pandemic’s timeline would have to return to prison. Advocates of criminal prison reform are begging Biden to use his executive powers, revoke Trump’s “prisoner return” mandate, and let the released inmates stay on home confinement.
According to the US Department of Justice spokesman Anthony Coley, inmates whose home confinement has been revoked because of a violation can appeal it through the Administrative Remedy Program. Levi’s sentence has been reduced to time served.
