Crystal Douglas is the mother of three young boys. Her boyfriend was convicted of a federal drug conspiracy. He refused to cooperate against others, so the federal agents played hardball: they went after the mother of his children, Crystal.

Crystal was never accused of selling drugs or even having anything to do with her long-term live-in boyfriend's (and father of her children) drug-dealing activities. Yet she must spend nearly a decade in federal prison for living in the same home as him, away from her three young boys who have been thrusted on the grandmother.

There is a federal crime that overzealous federal agents keep in their back pocket for times like these—when someone refuses to give them information about other alleged drug dealers.

It allows the federal government to target the wife, girlfriend, grandma, or even the kids who are 18, still in high school or college.

The government can say that that person lived at the home, which was used to store and sell drugs. Yes, this is a thing.

Crystal was told that if she did not waive indictment and plead guilty to this offense, she would be added to her boyfriend's massive drug conspiracy and spend the rest of her life in federal prison, as all of the drugs sold by others would be pinned on her by way of federal conspiracy laws. Yes, this too is a thing.

By doing so, this criminal statute is unfairly expanded to criminalize conduct that is hardly criminal, thereby weaponizing it so as to coerce cooperation and guilty pleas. 

Crystal is collateral damage, as are her three young boys: all under the age of 8.

It is tragic to let these young boys grow up without a mother or father. The grandmother is straining to keep them afloat.

For perspective, many large-scale drug traffickers and violent offenders don't serve nearly a decade behind bars. Yet even though Crystal was not accused of selling $1 of drugs, she must languish in prison for nearly a decade.

Please support her quest for Clemency or a Compassionate Release.