It is Time for Leonard Peltier to be Freed

May 10, 2016 at 4:01 PM

Amnesty has serious concerns about the fairness of Leonard Peltier's (above) trial (Photo Credit: Taro Yamasaki).

“Only one thing’s sadder than remembering you were once free, and that’s forgetting you were once free.” –Leonard Peltier

This weekend I made the 850 mile trip from the Nation’s Capitol to the sprawling Coleman Federal Correction Complex in Wildwood Florida to visit a man who has been in Federal custody for more than half of his life – Leonard Peltier. As I wound my way past barbed wire and concrete, the words above weighed heavy on my mind.

Peltier’s case brings together many disparate themes that wind their way through the larger criminal justice system: the role of human rights principles in addressing the crisis of mass incarceration, the responsibility of the the Judicial and Executive branches to address decades-old cases, questions of mercy and compassion for an aging population of incarcerated people, and finally deep contradictions in the perceived nature and purpose of the U.S. prison system itself – whether it is meant to correct and rehabilitate or simply to punish.

One central truth remains, however – at the center of such lofty questions, a 71 year–old man spends his days in a Maximum Security prison facing the real prospect of dying behind bars, struggling until the end to prove his innocence. Tweets can never capture the impact of sitting with another person who has spent four decades refusing to forget freedom, but that can serve as an urgent reminder: justice so long delayed has a human cost. It is time for Leonard Peltier to come home.

Time is of the essence, and we need your voice. Take Action and call on President Obama to grant Leonard Peltier clemency on humanitarian grounds and in the interests of justice.

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16 thoughts on “It is Time for Leonard Peltier to be Freed”

  3. Thank you for your time and efforts to bring about justice for Leonard Peltier.

  4. Four (4) decades of incarceration is far too long… Let us bring Leonard Peltier Home!

  7. Since I don't know, I'm asking . . . who is Leonard Peltier and what was the crime that put him away ??

  9. What is missing here is mercy and compassion.Time for Leonard to come home.Peace.

  10. President Obama, as a Canadian who believes in true justice, I ask that Leonard Peltier be allowed to spend his remaining days with his family. Peace be with you.

  11. President Obama. Please do the right thing and release Leonard to live the remainder of his life free. His incarceration has lasted for decades and his guilty verdict was always suspect. You have the power and I believe you have a heart.

  12. As verifiable court records clearly show, Leonard Peltier was _unjustly_ tried and convicted! He has been incarcerated for 40 years in federal prison where he remains today.
    Has vengeance replaced justice? Whether guilty or innocent, it is past time for our President, via clemency, to right the wrongs committed by the United States Justice Department.

  13. President Obama….please free Leonard Peltier, it is way past time that justice be served and that true freedom be granted to this fellow human being. Many folks are asking for your help on this matter which will come before you. Listen to your conscience, and then clemency will be the path taken.
    Thank you,
    Carol Davy

  14. As verifiable court records clearly show, Leonard Peltier was _illegally_ tried and convicted! He has been incarcerated for 40 years in federal prison where he remains today.
    Has vengeance replaced justice? It is past time for our President, via clemency, to right the wrongs committed by the United States Justice Department.