Once you have been convicted of a felony, there are some severe consequences. This is true even after you have served your sentence. There can be consequences that follow you for years, keeping you from being able to do things that you want to do, or live where you would like to live. This leads many to wonder how they go about getting a pardon as an ex-felon.
A pardon is an important act, because it gets rid of some or all of the consequences that follow someone around after they have served their sentence or have been convicted of a felony. The pardon will help to eliminate some or all of the consequences, so that people can live their life as they wish, or remove the stigma that comes with having been accused or convicted of a crime.
Getting a pardon is important, because it can help open doors and allow people to work in jobs that they want. It can also help to clean up your record, so that you are not getting held back in a variety of areas of your life. Without the pardon, you may experience consequences for years to come. With the pardon, you will be able to return to your life much quicker.
Another option is to seek a clemency, which will do the same thing for you as a pardon. Governors of states often have the power to grant someone clemency. If you are granted clemency, it will help you avoid many of the consequences that come as a result of having been convicted of a felony.
How to Get a Pardon as an Ex-Felon
To get a pardon, you have to contact the legislative body within your state, or you have to contact the office of the presidency. Both have the power to grant a pardon to someone, and they do grant them each year. In your state, you have the ability to contact your governor, who can grant clemency, or you can contact your state representatives.
State representatives have the power to seek a pardon or clemency on your behalf. They represent the people of the state you are living in, and if they believe you are deserving of a pardon or clemency they can petition for it. You have numerous options when it comes to contacting legislative members in your state. From your local house of representative members to the governor of your state to the president of the country, you have numerous people you can contact to request a pardon or clemency.
The president of the country has the ability to give a pardon to an ex-felon, and many of them do. Ulysses S. Grant had 1332 pardons that he gave, while John Adams only had 20. In recent years, Barack Obama granted 1927 pardons, while Donald Trump granted 237 of them. It is up to the president how many pardons they want to grant. Governors of each state also grant pardons and clemencies.
What to Write to Request a Pardon as an Ex-Felon
The first step to take in seeking a pardon as an ex-felon is to determine who you will write. You can write to one person, or you can choose to write to multiple people at the same time. The goal is to get your story to someone who will take the time to read it and hopefully have compassion for your situation. Determine who that person will be that you want to write to about your situation and ask to be granted a pardon or clemency.
Once you know who you will write, it is time to formulate the letter that will be submitted. In the letter, you want to share who you are, what your case involves, and what you are seeking, which is a clemency or pardon. Explain why you believe you should be granted one and how it would make a difference in your life.
The more details you can provide about how you are trying to live a positive and good life now is going to go a long way toward getting it approved. Those with the power to grant the pardon or clemency for someone who is an ex-felon want to know that you are making strides toward being a productive member of society. If you are in a spot in your life where you are doing well and are giving back, they will be more likely to support it.
Reach Out Multiple Times
It is not likely that you will write one letter and be granted a pardon or clemency. You may need to write a letter every month until you finally get someone’s attention. Another route to try is to write the media and share your story with them. If you can get the media to do a story on it then you may be able to gain some attention that will lead more people to helping you get a pardon or clemency.
There are other routes to getting your case noticed as well. You can start a website online, where you share your story with others. You can start a petition to be granted a pardon and get people in the community to sign it, and then submit copies of it those in charge of making the decisions.
All of these efforts will help you when seeking a pardon as an ex-felon. Doing them doesn’t guarantee that you will be granted a pardon, but it does increase your chances of it happening. If you stick with it and reach enough people, or are sincere in getting your story in the right hands, you may find that you get a pardon. It will be well worth the effort you put in if you are granted a pardon.
You can find the information about your elected officials online, so you can write them directly. You can also find information about writing the president’s office regarding a pardon online as well.
