Grandmother jailed after not answering her phone during class is ordered released from prison senten

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Grandmother jailed after not answering her phone during class is ordered released from prison sentence

By Justin Wm. Moyer
July 6, 2021 at 6:42 p.m. EDT

A 76-year-old woman who was taken back into custody last month after not answering calls during a computer class from officials was ordered released Tuesday.

After serving 16 years in federal facilities for dealing heroin, Gwen Levi moved to Baltimore to live with her 94-year-old mother, build relationships with her sons and grandchildren, and volunteer at prisoner-advocacy organizations as she searched for a job. She was one of about 4,500 prisoners allowed to serve their sentences at home as the coronavirus swept through federal prisons, killing 240 prisoners and four Federal Bureau of Prisons staff members.

Her release, however, was revoked after she attended a computer word-processing class in Baltimore on June 12 and didn’t return calls from officials monitoring her.

Out of contact for more than four hours, according to a Federal Bureau of Prisons report, Levi was accused of “escape” and sent to the D.C. jail to await transfer back to the federal system. Her case drew attention after reports on former inmates who might have to go back to prison when the pandemic ends.

On Tuesday, court documents showed, a federal judge granted Levi compassionate release, reducing her sentence to time served. Levi’s request for release was filed before she was sent home last year.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/inmates-pandemic-policy-gwen-levi/2021/07/06/ede8be98-de7e-11eb-a501-0e69b5d012e5_story.html

[Ron Obvious]

1. Imagine being 76 years old and moving back in with your mother....

Jeez!

[SheilaAnn]

3. Imagine still lucky enough to have your mother at age 76. n/t

[Jay25]

6. +1

[Grins]

20. Imagine how lucky the 94-year old mother is!! NM

[cannabis_flower]

7. Imagine ...

Being 76, moving back in with your mother only to be thrown back in jail for not answering the phone!

[luckone]

21. And looking for a job + gaining skills puts you back in jail

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. Waiting for the "rules are rules" crowd to chime in on this one.

K&R.

[KS Toronado]

8. WTF? "rules are rules" and must be adhered to

Rule 8476921.02 paragraph 4 states if person is 76 years of age and looking after a parent, the court system
shall leave them alone.

[Devil Child]

12. I would rather have the state chime in as to why they can bring the hammer down on this woman

Yet choose to ignore far worse incidents daily, like mass organized theft rings.

[PatSeg]

14. And why on earth they have the time and inclination

to do so? Who thought this was a good idea? She is 76 years old. There are any number of reasons why she didn't answer her phone. Given her age, you'd think they would realize that. Damn, she could have been in the hospital or passed out from a stroke or heart attack.

This is wrong on so many levels.

[ProfessorGAC]

16. Because It Was Simple

No crime to be solved.
No manhunt needed.
They had her cellphone number and could locate her easily.
So, they took her back into custody.
It's a stupid reason, but that's probably why they did it.

[Devil Child]

18. Nailed it ProfessorGAC

[PatSeg]

19. Yes, it seems you are right

[tulipsandroses]

23. Being in the hospital does not matter

When I worked in the hospital, patients that came in with ankle monitors would freak out if it wasn’t working properly. We had to keep the device that tracked them at the nurses’ station. I wasn’t always nice to the folks who called if it showed the patient was offline. I have work to do, I don’t have time to fiddle with your tracker. Not my concern. The patients also pay probation fees and pay for the monitor. It’s such a racket.

[PatSeg]

24. That's pretty disturbing

It is like these probation officers get tunnel vision and only see people as criminals all the time.

That is insane that a person on probation has to pay probation fees and for the monitor. It is cheaper than housing them in prison. It is like they just keep paying and paying for their crimes forever. You're right, it does sound like a racket and I can't imagine that such treatment makes people better citizens.

[Notek]

17. Yes,

I remember when a U.S. President launched a violent attack on U.S. Democracy and got away with it, no big deal. But, hey, not answering a phone call...now we're talking some serious shit.

[moreland01]

4. And trump gets to run around free . .

there is no justice.

[drray23]

5. its not surprising. Its well known that the parole system is setup to make people fail

They look for the smallest possible excuse to throw you back in jail. After all, we gotta help the private prison system increase their profits..

[LiberalArkie]

9. Hopefully she was not using social security to pay for home loan while in jail or prison.

I think it was Bill Clinton that instituted that.

[lindysalsagal]

10. I knew she'd be black, before I opened the link.

it's not about the laws: It's about the enforcement. And they never fail to lock up 76 year old black women.
Meanwhile, a violent attack might get a white man half that sentence.

[Demovictory9]

11. Me too.

[PatSeg]

15. Yeah, that's what I figured as well

Disgraceful.

[multigraincracker]

13. Time to free all POWs.

Prisoners Of War on drugs

[LiberalFighter]

22. What is the likelihood they knew she was attending class

and made a point of doing the call at that time?