Page 10 The Skanner May 24, 2017
News
Evans Ray Jr.: Starting Over; From Cocaine Dealer to Youth Counselor
One of nearly 2,000 nonviolent drug offenders granted clemency by Obama speaks out
By Rushawn Walters
Howard University News Service
WASHINGTON -- Nearly a year ago,
Washington, D.C. native Evans Ray, Jr.
was inside a prison cell serving a life
sentence and unsure of when or wheth-
er he would be released. Today, he’s
home surrounded by his family and
beginning a life far different from the
one he left.
In 2004, Ray was convicted of selling
60 grams of crack cocaine, which at that
time normally carried a sentence of 10
years. Two prior low-level drug con-
victions and new enhanced sentencing
guidelines created under the nation’s
“War on Drugs, however, resulted in
Ray being sentenced to a mandatory
minimum sentence of life in prison.
“I made a terrible mistake and it cost
me everything,” Ray said. “That was a
death sentence. I knew I was going to
die in there.”
Ray, 57, said as a young man growing
up in the District of Columbia, he be-
lieved the quickest and easiest way to
make money was drug dealing. Spend-
ing the rest of his life in jail was not
something he had planned.
The inordinately harsh sentences cre-
ated for crack cocaine were frowned on
by many long before then-President
Barack Obama and Attorney General
Eric Holder began drawing attention to
them during his administration.
For instance, the judge who sen-
tenced Ray told him during his trial in
2004 that he believed the judgement
was “cruel and unusual,” Ray said.
Ray’s mother, Gwendolyn Bell,
thought so, too. Bell, a retiree, said she
believed her son should have been pun-
ished for his crime, but not so harshly.
“I think he should’ve done some time
for the crime, but not the life sentence
without the possibility of parole,” Bell
said.
Evans Ray, Jr. says when he speaks to kids “I tell
them to never give up and not to take shortcuts.
Nearly 13 years of my life was taken away because
I made that bad choice.”
Ray landed in a penitentiary in Inez,
Kentucky, called Big Sandy. The prison,
he says, was given the nickname “Killer
Mountain” for its violent environment,
and its recent history includes a litany
of examples of violence between in-
mates.
Less than a year after being sen-
tenced, Ray was transferred to another
prison, the McCreary Penitentiary, a
high-security facility near Pine Knot,
Kentucky because of his high blood
pressure and cholesterol.
While at the new prison, Ray said
he heard of then Obama’s Clemency
Project and decided to fill out an ap-
plication. Two months later, Ray said,
he was approached by an attorney and
told him he had a “poster-child case,”
for clemency.
Unsure of his fate, Ray said he decid-
ed to write a short, personal letter to
Obama as his presidential administra-
tion was nearing the end in hopes it
would help him be released.
“I’m writing you because y’all only
got seven months left and I want to
thank you for all of the positive things
that you’ve done for the community for
all races, white, black, and Hispanic,”
the letter said.
He told Obama he gave “guys like him
a sign of faith.”
In mid-July, he received a response
from Obama. The letter didn’t tell him
he was released, Ray said. Instead, it ad-
vised him to continue to have hope.
Less than Ray’s life sentence was com-
muted, less than a month after receiv-
ing President Obama’s letter.
“When I got the news, I walked to
my cell and I put up my (a large poster
board) so no one could see in, and I got
on my knees and prayed, and I thanked
God,” he said.
Now, Ray is back in Washington liv-
ing with his mother and working as a
counselor and mentor at the Commu-
nity Empowerment Training Academy,
a nonprofit organization that provides
job training and other services for in-
ner-city Washington youth.
“My job consists of me speaking to
the kids in reference to what I’ve been
through,” he said.
“I tell them to never give up and not
to take shortcuts. Nearly 13 years of my
life was taken away because I made that
bad choice.”
Ray has been looking for work, but it
has been difficult, he said, because even
though he was granted clemency, he
still has a prison record, which scares
off many employers.
While working at the academy, Ray
said, he’s put out “hundreds” of re-
sumes for jobs without success.
Still, he remains optimistic.
Read the rest of this story at
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OBITUARY: Joan E. Bailey
July 11, 1934 – April 15, 2017
O
n the afternoon
piest when all of her
of April 15, 2017
children, grandchil-
at 3:15 p.m.,
dren and great-grand-
Joan Bailey was
children were around,
called home to be with
and before she became
the Lord. Her family
ill, could be found
was with her and sang
making
delicious
to her as she gently
meals, along with her
passed from this life.
famous rolls, for them
Mrs. Bailey was
all to enjoy!
born on July 11, 1934
Mrs. Bailey is sur-
in the little coal min-
vived by her sister,
ing town of Boomer,
Ora Yvonne, and six
Joan E. Bailey
West Virginia. She
children: Ora (Domi-
was the eighth of 12 children born to nic), Robert Jr. (Dale), Jodell (Karen),
Odell Richard and Maud Ora Win- Tracey (Michelle), Bradford, and
ston. One sibling, a sister, survives Walter. There are also eleven grand-
her.
children and seven great-grandchil-
Mrs. Bailey attended Anderson dren.
College before she met and married
The entire Bailey family wishes to
Robert E. (Bob) Bailey, Sr. in 1954. thank all of her family and friends
She was a pillar of the community for their love, phone calls, offers of
because of her love of children and help, and prayers. We are also grate-
provided in-home day care services ful to all of her caregivers, especial-
for many families throughout the ly the amazing care she received
Portland area. Mrs. Bailey was also from her Kaiser hospice team.
instrumental in creating the Head
Mrs. Bailey requested no funeral,
start program that is still in opera- however, please join us as we joy-
tion today in the Woodlawn Build- ously celebrate her life on Wednes-
ing (formerly Woodlawn United day, July 19 at 1:00 p.m., at the
Methodist Church).
Woodlawn
Building
(former-
Nothing was more important to ly Woodlawn United Methodist
Mrs. Bailey than the love of the Lord Church), located at 1425 NE Dekum
and loving her family. She was hap- Street, Portland.