Last Prisoner Project Asks Joe Biden to Pardon People Not Poultry This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a cherished time for family traditions, including the president’s turkey pardon, which dates back to the Civil War. This Thanksgiving, Last Prisoner Project - a national, nonpartisan non-profit - and Sid Lee are launching a new campaign titled 'Pardon People. Not Poultry.,' which aims to highlight the thousands of Americans who sit in prison for unjust cannabis offenses. 

President Biden has an opportunity to fulfil the promise he ran on: to use his clemency power to release every last federal cannabis prisoner before the end of his term, yet many remain incarcerated. The idea is a simple, yet powerful call to action: prioritise pardoning Americans over a bird. The campaign video juxtaposes images of pardoned turkeys with individuals awaiting justice, directing viewers to peoplenotpoultry.com where they can advocate for real change with just a few clicks.

On the website, people can scroll through the list of real Americans who are still imprisoned on cannabis charges to hear their stories and demand justice from the President. When a name is selected, a letter will be sent to president@whitehouse.gov calling for their pardon. The national campaign, now live on OLV, Web, and Social, marks Sid Lee’s first collaboration with Last Prisoner Project.

“This campaign is about making a meaningful choice this Thanksgiving. While traditions like the annual turkey pardon are light hearted, they’re a sharp contrast to the lives of thousands who remain behind bars for low-level cannabis offenses,” said Matthew Fraracci, ECD at Sid Lee. “'Pardon People. Not Poultry.' is our call to address this profound injustice. Through our collaboration with Last Prisoners Project, we’re offering an urgent reminder that clemency is within reach - and we're asking President Biden to take action.”

“We believe that no one should be imprisoned for an offense that has since been legalised,” said Sarah Gersten at the Last Prisoners Project. “As we approach this season of gratitude and compassion, this campaign allows us to reach Americans by putting a spotlight on the humanity behind these names, urging every citizen - and president Biden himself - to take action and help end the era of cannabis incarceration once and for all.”