Brittany K. Barnett is an attorney, author, and entrepreneur who thrives at the intersection of hope, justice, and freedom. Cody and Barnett are two parts of The Decarceration Collective, whose mission is to release non-violent offenders, unjustly imprisoned due to harsh and cruel drug laws. Marijuana Venture is the leading B2B monthly publication for the cannabis industry. Do we ever have the resources to process what its like to be kids on the front lines of the war on drugs?. Its lost some of its innocence. So it had this racially biased impact, and I think that thats how we got here. New, A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom. She is dedicated to transforming the criminal justice system and has won freedom for numerous clients serving life sentences for federal drug offenses-seven of whom who received executive clemency from President Barack Obama. When Barnett was 22, her mother, a crack cocaine addict, was arrested and sent to prison for eight years. Durbin, Grassley talk criminal justice reform at The Washington Post", "Opinion | Kim Kardashian's 'prison reform' work reveals downsides of celebrity activism", "Kim Kardashian West has helped free 17 inmates in 90 days", "Kim Kardashian West Helped Free 17 More People From Prison", "Kim Kardashian West has helped free 17 people from prison in the last 90 days", "Brittany K. Barnett is asking for donations", "Lawyer Brittany K. Barnett Gives Backstory of Kim Kardashian's Work With 90 Days of Freedom", "Miss USA Cheslie Kryst helped free a man sentenced to life in prison for a drug offense and says marijuana should be legal", "Miss USA, Miss Teen USA reveal what makes them proud to be Americans", "Third Strike Laws Have Been Hurting Entire Communities for Years. I knew my mom had a drug problem, but I didnt realize she had a disease. Only two of us. In 2019, Buried Alive nabbed headlines for freeing 17 people in ninety days and receiving vocal support from Kim Kardashian West. "[28] The case led to Trump's support of the First Step Act,[29] which, among other things, retroactively applies the Fair Sentencing Act and increases the number of good conduct time credits prisoners receive. Many took a plea deal which meant serving 14 years in jail. Ms. Barnett will be interviewed by Jeanne Bishop, assistant public defender in the Cook County Public Defender's Office and adjunct professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. She later came across the similar case of Donal Clark, who was serving a 30-year sentence for a first-time, non-violent drug offense. 201, Evanston, IL 60201 Contact Us. And thats the beautiful part of our journey. This was bigger than Kim Kardashian. And I would be remiss not to say that financial resources are always needed to get more people free and break more chains. It wasnt the stereotype you hear about with gang wars and rioting. To book Brittany for a speaking engagement email, For general inquiries please use the form oremail. Of all people, she understands that prisoners are people who need love and care just like any other person. Barnett is also in the process of launching a venture capital fund to ensure formerly incarcerated people have access to capital and resources so they can have what she calls "life after life." Not only are Jones and Jacobs partners in the nonprofit, but Barnett says they're an inspiration to her and leading examples of a greater cultural transformation. And then when he left, quite frankly, there was a period of time in January of 2017, where I was like, what the hell did I do? Even with all of that, I still love East Texas. Ms. Barnett will be interviewed by Jeanne Bishop, assistant public defender in the Cook County Public Defenders Office and adjunct professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. In 2010, his third strike came after federal investigators conducted a drug sting in Clarksville, Tennessee. [7], In 2016, she stopped practicing corporate law and began to take the cases of nonviolent drug offenders full-time, taking advantage of a policy under President Barack Obama's administration that came to be known as the clemency initiative. The panel of invited speakers included Barnett. Texass Most Venomous Caterpillar, Texass First Nonalcoholic Bottle Shop Reflects the Shifting Culture Around Drinking. And then the other 50% of my time is cultivating this vision I have about sustainable liberation and venture capital and investments. Whenever I think of it, I think of family. In Bogota, where my grandparents lived, opioids and meth have taken over. Dominique Broadway, Wikipedia, Bio, Age, Husband, Reviews, Net Worth. Also learn about how she is rich at the age of 49 years old? His story made national headlines and the media attention caught the eye of Barnett. [17], Barnett started XVI Capital Partners, a venture capital fund to help fund entrepreneurial ideas the previous inmates have upon release, with the goal of what she calls "economic liberation" from the draw of selling drugs. Mass incarceration is, to me, the most pressing civil rights issue of our time. I felt an obligation to be in those boardrooms as a Black woman to help pave the way for others. Theyve each left their fingerprints on my soul. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Has that changed with the great reception youve received for this book? And thats the beautiful part of our journey. Soon enough, the war on drugs reached that wooden house in Fulbright. Ive always felt the heartbeat of the people behind bars, but writing the book really gave me that time to be, like, wow, this country is locking up the very ingenuity our nation needs to thrive. We need the laws to change, for sure, but we need change thats more than that. Associate professor of philosophy at the University of San Diego, Professor of psychology, George Mason University, and bestselling author, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, director of the Center for Psychodynamic Therapy and Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, co-director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, and co-founder of the Lifespan Research Foundation, William Henry Bloomberg Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School, Professor of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, Faculty Director of the Greater Good Science Center, and bestselling author, Author of the #1 New York Times bestselling books Quiet and Bittersweet. The childhood experience she had motivated her to help others get perspective on prisoners. At the age of 19 years, Brittany K. Barnett weight not available right now. She not only frees them from prison, she . TSA officers confiscated more than 6,542 firearms from passengers in 2022 the highest number recorded since the agencys inception. There are so many forms of trauma I never realized were happening to me, my family and my community. In 2020, she founded Manifest Freedom, an organization that helps to provide resources and capital to once-incarcerated people. Last summer, Kim Kardashian West received tons of praise for . When youre in it, you dont see how bad it is. Every one of them, man. In 90 days TWO black women lawyers freed SEVENTEEN people from LIFE W/O PAROLE sentences - the second most severe penalty permitted by law in America. Why you should listen As a corporate attorney, Brittany K. Barnett was committed to pro bono representation of clients unjustly sentenced under federal drug laws. More inside. I always knew that I was going to get Chris Young free. She was set to never breathe free air again, and she was the one encouraging me. Brittany K. Barnett is an award-winning attorney and entrepreneur focused on social impact investing. the Mortal Mustache, a.k.a. Federal Judge Kevin Sharp sentenced him to two lifelong terms in prison without parole on a nonviolent drug charge. I wanted it to shine in a way that hasnt been done. Girls Embracing Mothers was born from my experience of having a mother incarcerated, Barnett said. Named after the purest love Brittany has ever known, her grandmother Lena, Milena Reign cultivates content and talent from two special groups: (1) those directly impacted by the criminal justice system and (2) those from Brittany's beloved South - helping them lean into their gifts of storytelling to inspire the world. My mom was addicted to crack cocaine. Pamela Bardhi, who was friendly with Ana Walshe in professional settings, said she never saw any indications Washes life was in danger. In addition to her successful law practice, Ms. Barnett is also an entrepreneur focused on social impact investing. Weve gotten by without help before, and we can keep doing what were doing if the help comes or not. Chris Young said he plans on working with Barnett on other justice reform projects in the future. Barnett is also the founder of Girls Embracing Mothers, a non-profit organization that provides support for girls with mothers in prison. My clients sold drugs. [12] The effort resulted in 17 persons being released under provisions of the First Step Act. Theyre serving life sentences today under yesterdays drug laws, so Im hoping we take several more steps toward restoring a sense of fairness that should be at the heart of the criminal legal system. And I make no excuses for my clients selling drugs. Attorney And Criminal Justice Reform Advocate, Djimy Alexis Wiki, Biography, Age, Family, NetWorth & Know More, attorney and criminal justice reform advocate. Its clear; the data will show you that answer is no. [11], In early 2019, Barnett and MiAngel Cody (founder of and lead counsel for The Decarceration Collective law office & consultancy) started the 90 Days to Freedom campaign, a push to release nonviolent drug offenders from life sentences. Leave them blank to get signed up. The freedom journey doesn't end when someone is released from prison. Before she specialized in getting people out of prison, Brittany K. Barnett was a young girl living in a wooden house in Fulbright, Texas. That thought reoccurred every single day for over 3,000 days, but I pushed it out of my mind. Marijuana Venture 4000 Airport Way S. Seattle, WA 98108, @2020 - All Right Reserved. Company: Buried Alive Project. Thank you, Have you picked up a copy of the November 2022 Iss. But its always mind-blowing to me how little people really know about how the system works, because its so overwhelming. But shed be telling me to get back to work, telling me we could do this, that we could get her free. A Knock at Midnight is Brittanys riveting, inspirational memoir, at once a coming-of-age story and a powerful evocation of what it takes to bring hope and justice to a system built to resist both at every turn. It was almost as if I was living a double life because I was working on these multimillion-dollar deals by day and working pro bono to get people out of prison at night. We havent seen enough of that during this pandemic, and thats incredibly heartbreaking. It helps to already be famous to become a social media influencer, but she demonstrates that you need to have a raw or personal touch and engage with your followers if you want to do well on Instagram Facebook, Twiter, Youtube, etc. Brittany K Barnett: A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom (09/25/20) She has earned many honors, including being named one of Americas most Outstanding Young Lawyers by the American Bar Association. Bar Card Number: 24078196. Her organization has received funding and endorsement from television personality Kim Kardashian. Moved by Sharanda's plight, Brittany set to work to gain her freedom. Foundations want to change policy, which is necessary. The first step for policymakers and decision makers is to acknowledge that its been an utter failure. While I was working to free them, they were freeing me, too. 3400 Oak Grove Ave Ste 370. He and his co-defendants were just fringe participants in a much larger drug conspiracy, said formerU.S. District Court JudgeKevin Sharp. But he still has two years left, said Barnett. Ms. Bishop appears in several documentaries, two TEDx talks, and the CBS 48 Hours segment Road to Redemption. She is the author of a memoir, Change of Heart: Justice, Mercy and Making Peace with My Sisters Killer and the recently released Grace from the Rubble: Two Fathers Road to Reconciliation After the Oklahoma City Bombing. [13] Commentary on her involvement ranged from praise, to assertions that it was a public relations stunt, to accusations that she was taking the credit for work she did not do. Brittany K. is a phenomenal celebrity influencer. Brittany K. Barnett: I love East Texas. The leading resource for cannabis retailers and growers. Education is definitely key and there are local grassroots organizations people can find in their area that focus on transforming the criminal justice system that can help them get involved locally. Inspired by her own difficult experience as the daughter of an incarcerated mother, Brittany founded GEM to empower women in prison and their daughters to break the cycle of incarceration and lead . In January, with a presidential grant of clemency,that dream became a reality. Along with two of her clients, Sharanda Jones and Corey Jacobs, both of whom were serving life sentences without the possibility of parole before receiving clemency, Barnett co-founded the Buried Alive Project, a nonprofit that helps people like Jones and Jacobs. New prisons sprang up across Texas and the country. And then of course with him being free, nothing can trump it.. I tell everyone: find the area that youre most passionate about, whether its bail reform, whether its marijuana justice, whether its sentencing reform or parole and probation. A friend named Keyon got life without parole after being named as an accomplice by alleged dealers arrested in a police raid. [23], Corey Jacobs was 47 years old and 17 years into a life sentence for a first-time drug charge when Obama granted him clemency. 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Barnett", "Kim Kardashian Joins Prison Reform Attorneys in the Fight to Free Nonviolent Drug Offenders", "In remembering her own mother, activist and attorney makes Mother's Day plea for incarcerated women", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brittany_K._Barnett&oldid=1104086781, 2013 National Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, Finalist , 2013 Outstanding Young Lawyer of Texas Texas Young Lawyers Association, 2013 Outstanding Young Lawyer of Dallas Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, 2020 ProtectHER Award New Friends New Life, This page was last edited on 12 August 2022, at 15:18. [1] While researching a paper on how race impacted sentencing for her Critical Race Theory class, she came across the case of Sharanda Jones, a woman who had been sentenced to life without parole for a first-time, non-violent drug offense. [3], Barnett attended The University of Texas at Arlington,[4] earning a bachelor's degree in 2005 and a master's degree in 2006 in accounting. Age: 37. We cant just keep rescuing people from prison and restoring them to poverty. The lack of funding has been extremely frustrating, because were really trying to save lives, and were struggling for funding. Emily McCullar is a senior editor covering pop culture, news, and Texas history. Brittany is also the author of, A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom, a memoir detailing how her journey transformed her understanding of injustice in the courts, of genius languishing behind bars, and the very definition of freedom itself. When the crack epidemic hit, it wasnt treated like a public health crisis. Through herprogram, Buried Alive she fights to free people serving sentences handed down on federal drug laws. Foundations want to change policy, which is necessary. If your flight plans were recently disrupted, theres a chance you could be compensated. Just over two hours northeast of Dallas, this tiny, pastoral hamlet was home to 150 people who all knew one another. 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