Keystone Today

David Barren received clemency from President Barack Obama, but it was a mixed blessing as the president's order only reduced his life plus-20 years sentence to a 30-year sentence.

For a 55-year-old man, serving the 13 years he’s expected to serve ends thoughts of having a productive life.

Barren’s fiancé Anrica Caldwell is championing his plea for clemency. The schoolteacher and vice president of the CAN-DO Clemency Foundation has known him for 22 years. Barren had received his sentence for his part in a drug distribution conspiracy and for money laundering. His anticipated release date is in 2034.

Barren told the CAN-DO Foundation that he made an unwise decision after a divorce and moving with his three sons to Pittsburgh on how to supplement his income to support them. He started selling small amounts of cocaine, which eventually led to large amounts. By the time he stopped selling drugs and earned a real estate license, it was too late to escape charges.

Barren finished a paralegal program through Adams State University in Colorado with a 4.9 GPA. He plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

He often mentors other younger inmates. "Oftentimes in our community there are not many people who can speak of a family unit that is secure so to speak,” Caldwell told Keystone Today. “David is very articulate. And he’s very spiritual and very religious.”

His family was raised in the Jewish faith.

“He’s actually gone to baptisms, the younger guys have asked him to support them,” Caldwell said. “They’ve asked him to write briefs for them.”

Barren's background prevents him from making waves, she said. But he gets his point across. When he saw correctional officers walking around with masks due to COVID-19, he asked them why they have masks when the inmates don’t? A few hours later all the inmates in his unit received masks.

“He’s doing his time as an honorable inmate but still fighting to ty to come home,” Caldwell said.

Barren’s parents are in their 80s, and Caldwell said his father regularly asks what his son did so bad that he has to serve a life sentence?

“If he was good enough to be considered for clemency, why couldn’t he come home,” Caldwell asked?

Barren’s supporters include state Rep. Edward Gainey (D-Pittsburgh), U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.),  apostle David White, principal Russell Patterso of Pittsburgh Public Schools, Brace Lowe of A Second Chance, CAN-DO, Crack Open the Door, LOHM, his parents, sisters and children, Belina Beatty, director of West Virginia Innocents Projects at West Virginia University and Rachel Bartow from NYU.