Combat Clemency Project
Combat Clemency Project
Since October 2015 Professor Mark Heyrman and a team of law students have been representing seven combat veterans who were convicted of homicides committed while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have drafted clemency petitions on behalf of these seven veterans, and submitted these petitions to President Obama, the Department of Justice, and the Secretary of the Army. Our clients are connected in the following ways: they have been excessively punished, and the Army bears some degree of responsibility for their crimes. The sentences of many of our clients furthermore fail to account for the Army's failure to screen for and treat PTSD and TBI prior to combat deployment.
Despite this, no two of our clients are alike. Some are serving life sentences at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth, while others are on parole. Some are seeking a sentence reduction, while others are seeking a full pardon. Some are currently appealing their sentences, while others wait with little hope. Many of our clients were suffering from severe PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, and other mental health issues at the time of their crimes. Some of our clients maintain their innocence, while others accept their guilt.
Furthermore, PTSD treatment and other mental health treatment was suspended at the Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth in June 2015. We are calling on the Obama Administration to investigate and remedy this lack of adequate mental health services.
We have therefore submitted clemency petitions on their behalf to President Obama, requesting him to use his power under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution to grant clemency to these seven veterans, and to provide its prisoners in Leavenworth with PTSD treatment. Details about our seven clients can be found here:
Calvin Gibbs
For more information on our project, please see The Hardest Stories to Tell, an article about the Combat Clemency Project recently published in the Law School Record.
Other media concerning this Project include:
The New York Times (May 19, 2016)
The Chicago Maroon (May 31, 2016)
The Seattle Times (May 19, 2016)