Felicia Smith was granted clemency during Obama’s last full day in office and is now adjusting to her new life after spending more than 12 years in prison.
On January 19, 2017, President Barack Obama gave 330 commutations to nonviolent drug offenders, in a final effort to restore what Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates called, “proportionality to unnecessarily long drug sentences.” It was the highest number of clemencies given during the Obama administration, and the most granted on any one day in U.S. history.
But ever since, Felicia has dealt with struggles that many individuals encounter post-incarceration, like finding employment, reconnecting with family, securing housing and enrolling in school.
VICE News spent time with Felicia to explore what life is like and how she’s been able to adjust and progress after returning home.
This segment originally aired February 6, 2018, on VICE News Tonight on HBO.