One of the most interesting players to don an NFL uniform currently has a fascinating position outside of football.
Former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin Jr. is a member of the Washington State Board of Pardons and Clemency.
the Seattle Times made a fascinating story about how Baldwin will play a role in the fate of the current six prisoners.
On Thursday and Friday, Doug Baldwin Jr. will help decide the fate of six lives.
Without help from Baldwin, the former Seahawks star, and the rest of the state Board of Pardons and Clemency, most of the six will die in prison.https://t.co/wnG0Vt0qK0
—David Gutman (@davidlgutman) December 7, 2022
“He’s great at finding solutions that aren’t just a clue,” said Anthony Powers, the reentry program director for the Seattle Clemency Project, with whom Baldwin has worked in recent years. “People want police reform, but then it’s like ‘they go against the police.’ It’s more like, let’s work with the police and the community to find something that works.”
Baldwin does not necessarily view his four-year term on the Board of Clemency and Pardons as a continuation of his criminal law reform work.
“This is also an opportunity for me to learn more and go deeper into how these systems really work,” he said.
Baldwin is a new member of the state Board of Pardons and Clemency, which makes recommendations to the governor about who should be released from prison and who is likely to die behind bars. https://t.co/pvZCP46hes
— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) December 7, 2022
Baldwin also manages an impact investment fund and is CEO of Ventrk, a health and wellness software company. He is aware of the serious nature of making these board determinations.
“You’re making a decision based on whether this person is willing to re-acclimate to society and be a productive member of society,” he said. “I firmly believe in second chances. I’m a big believer in third, fourth, fifth down. We’re all human, we all make mistakes, we all do things we’re not proud of, but it’s how you bounce back from those situations.”
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