Through her criminal justice work, Brittany has encountered some of the most brilliant minds humanity has to offer. It does not make us safer. With Sharps support,a major win followed for Young. While Kim Kardashian West made headlines and was praised for helping get these 17 prisoners released from prison (she did lend her money and star power), it was really the tireless dedication and uncountable hours of Brittany and MiAngel that got these prisoners released. My clients sold drugs. Absolutely. Age: 37. Growing up, Barnet wanted to be a lawyer. Do we ever have the resources to process what its like to be kids on the front lines of the war on drugs?. Her background was not all that pleasing as she was a victim of poor parenting. She is dedicated to transforming the criminal justice system and has won freedom for numerous people serving fundamental death sentences for federal drug offenses - including seven clients who received executive clemency from President Barack Obama. And I looked at the bright side, and I stayed optimistic.. [22] The sentencing judge in the case, Judge Henry Coke Morgan Jr., wrote a letter advocating for Jacobs's petition for clemency, explaining that he would not have handed down a life sentence if he had not been required to do so by law. A vision of sustainable liberation for justice-impacted people. Soon enough, the war on drugs reached that wooden house in Fulbright. Policies at the time allowed the judge to add "enhancements" to her sentence, including her legal license to carry a concealed weapon credited as "furtherance of drug conspiracy," her testimony in her own defense credited as "obstruction of justice," and weight conversion of powder cocaine to crack cocaine (which carried higher sentences). Brittany K. Barnett. We didnt know how the Trump administration was going to treat criminal justice issues or prioritize criminal justice issues, but I am blessed to have been a part of the legal team for Alice Johnson, who was one of the first people to receive clemency from Donald Trump. MV: What takes up the bulk of your time right now? She was going to die in prison. This dream, however, had faded by the time she was in high school because there was no lawyer to look up to in her home area. [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. We havent seen enough of that during this pandemic, and thats incredibly heartbreaking. Company: Buried Alive Project. BKB: The culprit was the 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act that implemented this 100-to-1 sentencing ratio between crack and powder cocaine that punished crack much more severely and implemented mandatory minimums. The Photo the Dallas Cowboys Never Wanted the Public to See, Nolan Ryan Threw as Hard as He Could for as Long as He Could. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Fulbright. His doors are never unlocked. Dominique Broadway, Wikipedia, Bio, Age, Husband, Reviews, Net Worth. And thats the beautiful part of our journey. with lot of social media fan she often posts many personal photos and videos to interact with her huge fan base social media plateform. MV: How did the United States as a country get to where were at right now, with 1,300 to 1,500 people serving life in prison for drug crimes? That was until her criminal justice angels Brittany K Barnett and MiAngel Cody came along and took on her case. Sometimes we can be one-dimensional in how we create change, and I want to be a part of change that isnt just about capital or policy. Commerce. Emily McCullar is a senior editor covering pop culture, news, and Texas history. In September of 2020, we actually had a huge victory in the court and got Chris life sentence reduced to 14 years, and that was amazing in and of itself. Brittany K. Barnett is an award-winning attorney and entrepreneur focused on social impact investing. If you do drugs, youre a monster. No one was trying to help, and I didnt see that until years later. Just like everybody else in America, sometimes we let our neighborhoods and our circumstances be a prison themselves. After her masters, she became an associate attorney at Winstead PC, focusing on corporate finance. [3] Sierra Crane Murdoch of The New York Times said the book "unfurls like a coming-of-age story," but said that "her depictions of her mother are flat, distant. At the airport in Nashville, the first person to greet him was the same judge who sentenced him to prison years ago. As the daughter of a formerly incarcerated mother, Brittany knows first-hand the impact of mass incarceration is far reaching, devastating families and entire communities. Young, now 32, was in jail 10 years, one month and 10 days. To book Brittany for a speaking engagement email, For general inquiries please use the form oremail. That thought reoccurred every single day for over 3,000 days, but I pushed it out of my mind. While Kim Kardashian West has been getting credit for her "efforts" in prison reform, these are the ladies actually putting in the work. Brittany K.s income mostly comes from and basic source is being a successful American attorney and criminal justice reform advocate. She started working as an Audit Associate at Price water house cooper where she worked with clients to ensure compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Ms. Bishop is the sister of Nancy Bishop Langert, who was murdered in 1990 along with her husband and their unborn baby. Barnett ultimately ditched a career in corporate law to represent nonviolent drug offenders full-time. But the two administrations were quite different. I came to terms with trauma. While I was working to free them, they were freeing me, too. Over the past few months, claims BET.com, 90 Days of Freedom and The Decarceration Collective have helped free approximately 17 women and men from prison, allowing them to get . Through the organization Buried Alive, which she co-founded with Sharanda Jones and Corey Jacobs, she came to national attention when she and her co-counsel, MiAngel Cody, litigated the release of 17 people in 90 days. They understand that. But it is, at its heart, hopeful, offering a way forward from the painful realities it illuminates. Brittany K. Barnett, better known by her family name Brittany K. Barnett, is a popular American attorney and criminal justice reform advocate. But Im not playing those games anymore. Youngs story caught the eye of Kim Kardashian. It wasnt the stereotype you hear about with gang wars and rioting. She not only frees them from prison, she . 201, Evanston, IL 60201 Contact Us. A lot of the pushback we get is we dont fund direct services. All we had was Just Say No, which created this culture of, If you do drugs, its your fault. The argument is that they shouldnt have been sentenced to life. During this time she founded Girls Embracing Mothers Inc, a nonprofit organization empowering girls to break the beliefs of incarceration and live a purposeful life. She then went to Winstead PC in the Finance & Banking Practice Group. It was also a time for me to reflect on the work Ive done as a corporate lawyer and working on these federal drug cases pro bono. Attorney And Criminal Justice Reform Advocate Chris Young said he plans on working with Barnett on other justice reform projects in the future. MV: Obviously, the inauguration of President Joe Biden probably brings back some uncertainty, but what are your early thoughts about how the Biden administration will impact criminal justice reform? A decorated attorney and activist, Brittany K. Barnett has been named one of America's most Outstanding Young Lawyers by the American Bar Association, and was on the 2019 list of Essence's "Woke 100." Contact us to learn more about booking Brittany K. Barnett for your next event. Moved by Sharanda's plight, Brittany set to work to gain her freedom. 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. Barnett is also the founder of Girls Embracing Mothers, a non-profit organization that provides support for girls with mothers in prison. We and our clients and their families have a lot of love for her and are deeply grateful for her. But then it gave me a chance to reflect on just how brilliant my clients are. But it came to a point for me where I was getting very heavily involved in President Obamas clemency initiative and there were only about 10 months left of him in office, and I just wanted to do all that I could to help get people free. It seemed like an accepted part of life, like, This is just the way it is. It wasnt until I got to college that I realized how powerful it was. My sentence legally made me not be able to get released from the custody of the BOP until I was pronounced deceased. This was bigger than Kim Kardashian. 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. 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. This work has been her focus since then. Only two of us. Attorney and entrepreneur Brittany K. Barnett fights to free people from prison and champions restoring and nurturing the creative ingenuity of justice-impacted people. She was just a rural East Texas girl with a big, supportive extended family and few cares in the world. So it had this racially biased impact, and I think that thats how we got here. Its much more subtle, and even though you dont hear about it on the news, families are still being destroyed. Her Dallas-based nonprofit, works to free those who are eligible for release, but have been left in prison under outdated Reagan-era laws. Marijuana Venture 4000 Airport Way S. Seattle, WA 98108, @2020 - All Right Reserved. MV: What kind of racial disparity is there among the people youre looking to help free and reintegrate into society? The freedom journey doesn't end when someone is released from prison. Primary Practice Location: Dallas , Texas. What kind of impact do you see that having culturally and on society in general? BKB: I came to terms with trauma. AMAZON EDITORS' PICK FOR THE BEST BOOK OF 2020. Also, help by voting and getting involved in not just national elections, but local elections that have a huge impact as well. His clemency initiative was truly historical, and Im blessed to have lived that part of history. TX License Date: 11/04/2011. Barnett has worked to get 11 clients freed from federal prison through presidential clemency or presidential pardon in the past six years. , explores how that war shaped her life and career. Mass incarceration is, to me, the most pressing civil rights issue of our time. Im hopeful that we see a push to go beyond the First Step Act of 2018 and move on to the second, third, fourth and fifth step, starting with retroactivity and some of the laws that were changed. Under the federal Three Strike law, defendants receive mandatory life imprisonment without the possibility of parole if they have three federal convictions for serious violent felonies or crimes related to drug trafficking. Thats what we need more in this world, more love, more compassion, said Young. Brittany K. is a phenomenal celebrity influencer. Barnett is from Texas. Discover Brittany K. Barnetts Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Her address is, Your email address will not be published. [26] The White House released a statement, saying "While this Administration will always be very tough on crime, it believes that those who have paid their debt to society and worked hard to better themselves while in prison deserve a second chance. I wanted it to shine in a way that hasnt been done. [12] The effort resulted in 17 persons being released under provisions of the First Step Act. When Barnett was 22, her mother, a crack cocaine addict, was arrested and sent to prison for eight years. Brittany K. Barnett is an American attorney and criminal justice reform advocate. Weve gotten by without help before, and we can keep doing what were doing if the help comes or not. [9] Barnett is also the founder of Girls Embracing Mothers, a non-profit organization that provides support for girls with mothers in prison. The Dallas Cowboys Used to Sell NFL Dynasties. In the book, you see the positivity of Sharanda Jones (a woman from Terrell). 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. When the crack epidemic hit, it wasnt treated like a public health crisis. It used to be that doors unlocked, windows wide open part of Texas I talk about in the book, but I know my dad, for example, is always in fear of having his home broken into. In many ways, it begins. "All of my clients were serving time in federal prison under outdated federal drug laws and so I've had 7 clients who received clemency under President Obama and four clients over Donald Trump," Barnett said. More recently, she was part of the legal team that helped secure clemency from President Trump for Alice Johnson. 2 Roosevelt Steptoe Dr.| Baton Rouge, LA 70813 P: 225.771.2552|F: 225.771.2474, Chancellor's Welcome Office of External Affairs Strategic Plan Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Title IX It took a whole village to help get me free,said Chris Young. But you also need to free people while youre working to change policy, because people cant wait. [3] One of her clients, Corey Jacobs, forwarded her the sermon to cheer her up when she was discouraged due to setbacks in his case. Young decided to fight for his day in court, but he would ultimately lose. Do we ever have the resources to process what its like to be kids on the front lines of the war on drugs?. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. [7] After submitting her paper, Jones's case plagued Barnett, and she wrote to Jones offering her assistance; the women began corresponding through email. Dad arrested after video shows toddler with gun: Whats next? From a pen gun to a gun shoved inside a raw chicken, TSA says it found a record number of firearms in carry-on bags last year. [16] Following her win, she partnered with Barnett in representing and successfully litigating the release of Alfred Rivera after serving 18 years of a life sentence for non-violent drug offenses. [2] She then went to Winstead PC in the Finance & Banking Practice Group. Born on in United States, Brittany K. Barnett started her career as attorney and criminal justice reform advocate . Learn more here: https://www.penguinran. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Federal prosecutors will not seek the death penalty for a man accused of fatally shooting nearly two dozen people in a racist attack at a West Texas Walmart in 2019. Chris was a catalyst and became a poster child for my issues and the federal justice system. Brittany K. Barnett is an American attorney and criminal justice reform advocate. February 2023Print And DigitalOn Sale Now. In Barnetts words, this was the doors unlocked, windows wide open part of Texas. Even with all of that, I still love East Texas. Thanks to Attorney Brittany K. Barnett and her team of civil rights lawyers, Young is free. And it looks different here. Title: Attorney, author and co-founder. Also learn about how she is rich at the age of 49 years old? Brownsvilles New Independent Bookstore Is an Oasis in the Desert, The Lone Bookstore in a Town With No Library. author. Brittany K Barnett Age, Family, and Husband Barnet was born on February 24, 1984. I knew my mom had a drug problem, but I didnt realize she had a disease. In 2017, Sharp stepped down from his life-appointed position toreturnto work for criminal justice reformas a civil rights attorney. Darryl Hinton her net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. While working as a corporate lawyer moving multi-million dollar deals by day, by night Brittany worked to secure freedom for numerous people buried alive under outdated federal drug laws. Ms. Bishop is the sister of Nancy Bishop Langert, who was murdered in 1990 along with her husband and their unborn baby. She went to The University of Texas Arlington where she did a degree in accounting and later a masters in the same. Everybody was locked up, and it has had a devastating impact for generations. Brittany K. 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