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Man sentenced to 90 years for non-violent drug offense released, meets grandchildren
Jordan Bowen reports
TAMPA, Fla. - Richard DeLisi s sentence is among one of the longest ever handed down for a non-violent crime involving marijuana. But the Polk County man who was serving 90 years is now a free man.
Cheers from loved ones could be heard as the 72-year-old took his first steps outside of the confines of the South Bay Correctional Facility in Palm Beach County. It s beyond wonderful. All I can do is thank God for what happened to me, DeLisi said.
DeLisi was released Tuesday. It was a major victory for the organization the Last Prisoner s Project, which took on his case in June. Since then, his legal team has been pressuring the state for an early release.
Prison changed me. I never really knew who God was and now I know and it changed the way I talk to people and treat people, said DeLisi. For me, being there so long, I was able to take gang members from gangs to gentlemen.
Richard DeLisi walks out of prison on December 8, 2020. Last Prisoner Project via AP
The Last Prisoner Project, a non-profit dedicated to freeing people incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses, connected DeLisi with his lead attorney, Chiara Juster, through its pro bono release program. It is a sad truth that children of those who are incarcerated are also given a sentence, Juster said in a statement. Ashley and her brother Rick s ninety-year-sentence is also ending.
The system needs to change : Man who spent three decades in prison for selling marijuana hopes to help other inmates cbsnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cbsnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.