AC: What is the biggest challenge going forward for Hamedah and other prisoners like her?
MM: Her best chance is a presidential commutation. The pardon office has been essentially broken for the last few years. Hamedah and others, their cases have been on the pardon desk for two years and they [the office] say nothing, and the head of the office just left. There’s hope that there will be some reform and relief. Hamedah is the most resilient person I’ve ever met. She is grounded in her faith. She tries to make the best of her day. She doesn’t like it, but she accepts it. She takes ceramics and paralegal classes. She does whatever she can do.
AC: What kind of action could viewers of your documentary or the public do to help transform cases like Hamedah’s?
MM: A lot of people want to do something way out there. We all want to make this really hard. [The best thing to do is to] make your legislature your best friend. Just let our legislatures know that we want to be smart on crime and not just tough on crime. You probably aren’t going to be like me and stay up at night worrying about justice and fairness for alleged drug dealers. It might not be your top issue, but if you sign up for email alerts on FAMM, they’ll tell you when to contact your legislature and why and that’s just what you need to do.
Photo of Hamedah Hasan and Melissa Mummert, courtesy of FCI-Dublin
