Douglas Dunkins was serving life based on testimonies of highly motivated co-conspirators. Released
The trial court found that Dunkins conspired to manufacture and distribute crack cocaine in Ft. Worth, Texas. No drugs were ever seized in the case, and Dunkins was convicted largely on the basis of testimony from co-conspirators who received reduced sentences in exchange for their testimonies.
The trial judge said, “…unfair that guidelines bind me to give a life sentence. It bothers me a lot.” If the crack/powder cocaine disparity were eliminated, he would already have been released from prison.
His three daughters, who were only one, five, and six years old when he was incarcerated, are now in their twenties; two are in medical school. He stays in touch with his daughters and mother weekly.
Read full story at ACLU Special Report. A Living Death: Life Without Parole for Nonviolent Offenses.
No Harsh Justice inmate has ever been convicted of a violent crime.