Four North Carolinians are among the 46 federal inmates whose nonviolent, drug-related prison sentences were commuted today by President Obama. Two of the N.C. offenders were serving life sentences.
“I believe in your ability to prove the doubters wrong, and change your life for the better,” Obama wrote in a personal letter to each offender. “So good luck, and Godspeed.”
Following are the lucky North Carolinians:
Jerry Allen Bailey
Hometown: Charlotte
Offense: conspiracy to violate narcotics laws (crack)
Sentence: 360 months; 10 years’ supervised release
Sentence date: April 2, 1996
Commutation grant: prison sentence commuted to expire Nov. 10, 2015
John L. Houston Brower
Hometown: Carthage
Offense: distributed cocaine base (crack)
Sentence: life; 10 years’ supervised release
Sentence date: June 22, 2002
Commutation grant: prison sentence commuted to expire Nov. 10, 2015
Telisha Rachette Watkins
Hometown: Charlotte
Offense: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base
Sentence: 240 months; eight years’ supervised release
Sentence date: Oct. 25, 2007
Commutation grant: prison sentence commuted to expire Nov. 10, 2015
James Rufus Woods
Hometown: Leasburg
Offense: possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack)
Sentence: life; 10 years’ supervised release
Sentence date: Nov. 23, 1998
Commutation Grant: prison sentence commuted to expire Nov. 10, 2015
