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Smoky Mountain Today

Saturday, February 22, 2025

Buried Alive Project: Chris Young deserves presidential clemency

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The Buried Alive Project is supporting the clemency bid by the imprisoned Chris Young.

The Buried Alive Project is supporting the clemency bid by the imprisoned Chris Young.

After President Trump issued a number of pardons for individuals in federal prisons in February 2020, the Buried Alive Project and others have been raising awareness of other individuals who would be deserving of clemency, including Chris Young.

Young, 30, who has served eight years of a life sentence after he was arrested and accused of buying and selling powder crack cocaine, along with other individuals. The court found that he had a low level of involvement, but when Young chose to go to trial instead of accepting a plea, the prosecutor filed an enhancement based on the three strikes law. Even the federal judge had something to say about the severity of Young’s sentence.

“Each defendant is supposed to be treated as an individual," said U.S. Judge Kevin Sharp. "I don’t think that’s happening here. . . [t]he sentence that everybody knows is coming is certainly more harsh than necessary, and I wish it was not that way.” 

Young was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, attempted possession of a detectable amount of cocaine with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He pleaded guilty to felony in possession of a firearm.   

U.S. prison reform advocate Alice Marie Johnson wrote a letter supporting Young’s bid for clemency.

“Absolutely no aspect of Chris’ crime was violent," she wrote. "He is not, by any calculus, a drug kingpin, a violent or dangerous person, or otherwise deserving of spending the rest of his life in prison. Chris takes full responsibility for his actions and has shown tremendous dedication to bettering himself by utilizing his time in prison constructively with education and rehabilitative programming.”

If he is granted clemency, Young, with support from family and friends, wants to work after his release. He has engaged in vocational skills training, educational programs and has worked during his incarceration.

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