Aspiring Abolitionists

Pardon Blog

Stay up-to-date on fellow freedom fighters and their journeys towards release.

I Woke Up Pardoned.
December 18, 2025

What’s up fam!
I woke up this morning free!
Free from the felony convictions that made people question my character.
Free from…
Let me stop. I was about to drop a poem on y’all ass! 🤣

I’m feeling amazing y’all! We’re really shifting the way pardons work in Minnesota and it’s inspiring people across the world. ✊🏿

I’m trying to get caught up with emails and respond to every message but needed to center some of the work we’re holding going forward.

Where things stand.

I. AM. PARDONED. 🎉

We did it!! I appreciate all of the support. You can see how important it was at every stage of the process. Thank you for uplifting my humanity whenever we were challenged. Now we can enjoy this win, knowing that we will free more people throughout this region in 2026.

Please review and subscribe to my channels.

To sustain The Institute of Aspiring Abolitionists, we want to be able to facilitate this work without being reliant on grants. While some grants may help aid the work, we want to KNOW that we will last.

Our goal is to have 250 free subscribers + 50 paid subscribers on Substack + Patreon. Shout out to my first 18 subscribers on Substack! 🧡 Hoping to drop my first article tomorrow sometime. 🤞🏿

Here are some places to plug in or explore my work more deeply:

Do you have any used or new picture frames?

Many of you have helped along the journey, and I’d like to provide a few small gifts. I have some sacred items that need 5×7 or 8×10 frames. If we can schedule a warm handoff this weekend or next, that’d be great! If you’re outstate but have frames, I can provide my address for you.

Make an end-of-year donation to my fiscal sponsor, Seeds Worth Sowing, c/o Institute of Aspiring Abolitionists. Or you can send a gift through Venmo (Jason-Sole-4) or Cashapp ($JMarqueSole) but please use the word, “Pardon” in the notes. For instance on X, I refer to myself as James Pardon because of James Harden who has a beard. 🤷🏾‍♂️ You can be as creative as you’d like. Thanks for considering.

Take care of each other.

Our society is crumbling in real time, and it’s important that we’re educating our loved ones about how to stay grounded, connected and in solidarity as the current administration ramps up its attacks. There are four videos I’ve found helpful for easing our nervous systems and sharpening our collective wisdom and strength, Also, there are another five videos of coverage concerning my pardon.

Coverage about my pardon vote:

Thank you for being part of this clemency journey. I’m grateful for this win! I am stepping into 2026 ready to do my best work. If you see yourself uplifting the work identified in this email, tap in whenever you have the energy.

A Unanimous Vote? What the Helly?
August 2, 2025

Wow! I’m still trying to piece together everything that occurred yesterday. Several worlds merged to create a unanimous vote. I’m still in disbelief that there were no questions about my criminal past. Thankfully, some of the commissioners were familiar with my previous admissions of guilt so I didn’t need to stress about how remorseful I was for the harms caused in my teens and 20s.

I have to give some love to the commission for the way they held my case. I expected some sort of confrontation because of the petition push and the articles we released to get placed on the August docket. I’m grateful for how they made accommodations for my peeps in the overflow room and for allowing us to “break the rules” and cheer! That’s a moment I’ll never forget.

If you weren’t able to attend the hearing, please check out last night’s coverage.

I’m hoping to be included in the September 24 Board of Pardons meeting. Currently, I don’t see any further dates on their website. I’ll be circling back with several next steps by Monday.

Damn, I am super close to being pardoned. Wow. y’all are the truth!!!!