I’d like you to add your name to a petition.

My friend, Jason Sole is seeking a pardon for three convictions that are 20+years old (one is for firearm possession; the other two are controlled substance charges). Since then, he’s not only served his time and completed probation, he’s also rebuilt his life in amazing ways.

But he has experienced the clemency process as opaque and obstructive. Despite having applied to the Clemency Review Commission in a timely manner last fall (and despite this being his second attempt; he was denied a pardon in 2021), his application has been slowed and communication to him from the Commission has been virtually non-existent—and when it has happened, it has bordered on gas-lighting.

I believe this is at least in part because of Jason’s dedicated and impactful work around justice for others who have been incarcerated and even more so because of his work and profile as a prison abolitionist. The last way the carceral system can hold onto him is to drag out (or even ultimately once again deny) his appeal for clemency. And because his voice—driven both by experience and by principle—has been loud in critique of this system, it seems reluctant to acknowledge this powerful work as evidence of his “rehabilitation” and his commitment to give back to society.

I’ve known Jason since 2014. We met when I, as adjunct faculty in religion at Hamline University, was organizing an adjunct faculty union there. Jason, also adjunct faculty (in Criminal Justice Studies) was warmly supportive of my efforts. We are both driven by visions of community well-being and justice, and though our respective work has often moved in different directions, we’ve kept in touch over the past decade. I’ve watched the arc of his work with deep admiration.

Both in and beyond the classroom, Jason has dedicated himself to educating others about the historical inequities that have plagued our society—particularly through the criminal justice system and the roots of racism that reach deep into our past and present. But he is equally driven to envision possibilities for systemic change that lead to safer and healthier communities and to a much deeper measure of justice grounded in systems of care. These twin commitments have found expression in his teaching, his leadership in the Minneapolis NAACP, his co-founding of the Humanize My Hoodie movement, and other instances of community action.

Jason Sole’s life reflects purpose to a higher degree than almost anyone I know.

The pardon process is often framed as a question of personal redemption. In Jason’s case, it is not less than this, but it is much more than this. To be honest, I fear his passionate work to address the injustices rampant in our carceral system has jeopardized his own access to justice within that very system. Thus, this case is also about system redemption: whether the pardon process itself can demonstrate the best measure of fairness the Board aims to offer everyone.

Absent features like a defined schedule for hearings, consistent communication, full transparency in decision-making, and a clear way for people to self-advocate, the process of seeking a pardon too easily becomes a charade of justice rather than the provision of it. I’m asking you to sign a petition for Jason, but these things are the baseline for the fair consideration due to everyone who enters this process. And Jason is raising them to benefit others long term, even while this pardon is his pathway to full freedom. (Besides offering an official acknowledgement of a turned-around life, a pardon ends the ongoing consequences of a punishment that has been served: it restores opportunities for housing, credit, jobs, education, professional licenses, volunteering, jury service, and holding public office; it really is a new lease on life.)

Already for nearly two decades Jason has manifested profound gifts in promoting justice and wellbeing in our common life. We are ALL better because Jason is working tirelessly already for a more just society. It’s time for the clemency Review Commission and the Board of Pardons to act with equal commitment and urgency in removing the barriers his past convictions continue to present in his own life.

The Clemency Review Commission just met on May 2 to review 27 applications for clemency. Jason’s application could have been reviewed at that time. Instead, after hearing nothing from the Commission in over four months, he was told in March that he would “likely” have a hearing in August or September. But since then the Commission has missed its promised deadline for confirming even that. It is this cycle of silence and delay that led Jason to initiate this petition, asking for a hearing by Juneteenth, setting his appeal for liberation in the context of that larger commemoration of long overdue liberation 160 years ago.

The Clemency Review Commission will no doubt respond, by telling Jason to “just be patient.” But this has been the message to black people throughout history while justice has rarely been delivered on time—and often not at all. We see under Trump, how even the insufficient promise of racial justice is being actively undone. Which is why it matters even more today, that here in Minnesota, we state clearly by our actions, that the time for justice is always NOW.

By signing this petition, you place yourself in solidarity with Jason’s call for justice NOW. I’ve signed, and I encourage you to do so, too. (And if you do, let me know by liking this blog or my Facebook post. I’ve promised Jason I would try to secure an additional 100 signatures beyond my own, and I need some way to be accountable to my promise.)

A little historical context. Minnesota’s clemency process has changed over time—most recently in 2024. From 1849 (Minnesota was still a territory) until 1897, the power to pardon rested solely with the governor. In 1897 the legislature created a Board of Pardons, comprised of the governor, attorney general, and chief justice of the state supreme court. Pardons were then granted only by unanimous agreement among these three. In 2024 the current process was established. The Board of Pardons still consists of the governor, attorney general, and chief justice. But now a nine-member Clemency Review Commission (each member of the Board appoints three commissioners) reviews all clemency applications, receives direct testimony from applicants, and then votes on a recommendation to the Board to approve or deny. The Board still has final say, but now only two “yes” votes are required, one of which must be from the governor.

A lot more could be said about this history (this 2015 MinnPost article discusses it in depth), but for Jason’s case, a couple things are noteworthy. He first applied for pardon in 2021 (before the most recent changes). In that instance, his hearing was directly in front of the three-person Board of Pardons. Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison both voted to pardon him. But Chief Justice Lorie Gildea voted against—without comment. So, four years ago Jason was denied a pardon without any transparency as to why. This time, under the revamped process, his hearing would be before the Clemency Review Commission, whose recommendation for or against would go to the Board (which meets several weeks or months after the Commission does their work). The governor and attorney general are the same, but now there’s a new chief justice. Plus, he only needs two of the three (including the governor) to vote Yes.

In some ways, Jason’s odds are “better” this time (though not guaranteed!), but his petition reflects his deep frustration with a process that lacks transparency and responsiveness—and a practice that appears to treat pardons for African Americans (those who are descendants of enslaved people) as less urgent than pardons for white offenders or even African immigrants. It’s a process that carries the echo of systemic racism in valuing some futures more than others. And Jason is determined that all futures be valued.

In case you missed it up above, the petition is RIGHT HERE.

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David Weiss is a theologian, writer, poet and hymnist, “writing into the whirlwind” of contemporary challenges, joys, and sorrows around climate crisis, sexuality, justice, peace, and family. Reach him at drw59mn@gmail.com. Read more at www.davidrweiss.com where he blogs under the theme, “Full Frontal Faith: Erring on the Edge of Honest.” Support him in Writing into the Whirlwind at www.patreon.com/fullfrontalfaith.