Ross Ulbricht—who was serving a life sentence over a conviction for running a dark web illicit drug market before being pardoned by President Donald Trump—says more clemency is needed, arguing that more than half of the inmates he met while incarcerated “have no business being in those cages for decades.”
Trump also faces criticism by Democratic legislators over the pardons he has granted. They are particularly scrutinizing Ulbricht’s clemency for drugs, despite their history of advocating drug policy reform.
Ulbricht, who spoke at FreedomFest last week and thanked his supporters, the president, and others for their help in facilitating his release. He was visibly moved as he recalled the fear he had felt when rumors of his possible clemency first surfaced and how his fate seemed to depend on the outcome of an election.
He said that despite his gratitude, he still feels there is more to do.
“I know men who are there.” I can safely say—I was in there for over 11 years, I met lots and lots of people—and I can safely say that the majority of, more than half easily, at least, have no business being in those cages for decades. He said that cages like those in our country are a plague.
“They are decent men. The men are not an immediate threat to anyone. Just like me, these people can be released in a safe manner. Ulbricht added, “The ones who cannot are still in the cage.” There are people in that room who are dangerous. We must respect and treat them with dignity if we want to live in a free nation. We are not free until all of us are.
Trump’s pardon was something of a surprise, as he made repeated pledges on the campaign trail to take extreme, punitive actions—including capital punishment—against people who sell drugs. It was announced that the president would take action on May 20, 2024. This came one day after his promise to release Ulbricht, “on his first day in office.”
“I keep getting the advice to move on with my life—to put the past behind me, stop thinking about prison and forget what happened. Ulbricht stated in his address that he could not do this. “I can’t forget where I’ve been—can’t forget what I’ve seen. “I can’t remember the men who are still there.” We are all less than prisoners. The bottom of the social ladder. The way we treat these people reveals our national character. [and] as people.”
“I am here to let you know that you need to care about the conditions inside of those cages if you value freedom and liberties. It’s true. Just as it is. It’s there that people lose their freedom. It’s there that liberty is lost. The beast has eaten me, but I came out on the other end. I’ve witnessed the abuse and dehumanization. “I’ve seen it firsthand.”
Democratic legislators are not uncommon in their calls for drug reform, prisons and sentencing. Some members are not sympathetic to Ulbricht, but in this particular case.
A memo from the staff of the Democratic Minority in the House Judiciary Committee, distributed on Tuesday to legislators, detailed the complaints about the President’s controversial clemency decisions, including many who were involved in the insurrection that took place on January 6.
In the memo, the focus is the lost fines and restitution after the pardon by the President. It says that the staff of the committee “estimates” that pardoning offenders could cost victims and other survivors of pardoned criminals $1.3 billion in fines and restitution.
It also criticizes Ulbricht for his clemency.
The article uses sharp words that are different from the usual language used by progressives to talk about drug criminalization.
The article states that “He had been sentenced for life before being pardoned” by the President. It says that despite all the people who have been harmed because of Ulbricht’s crimes, including facilitating the trafficking in drugs and opioids by facilitating, the President Trump pardoned him on the 21st January.
Ulbricht was sentenced to life imprisonment for running the Silk Road dark-web market from 2011 until 2013.
The pardon also represents a political departure for Trump, who in 2023 defended his position that people who sell illicit drugs should be quickly convicted and executed, touting countries like China and Singapore for enforcing the lethal penalty against drug offenders. Trump stated that “the only thing you can do to end” addiction is capital punishment.
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