Michael Montalvo has served 37 years in U.S. federal prison for leading a criminal enterprise that sold tens of millions of dollars' worth of cocaine in California and during that time he has earned a law degree and helped other inmates obtain their freedom through a program called compassionate release.
But due to a quirk in the law, the 78-year-old Vietnam War veteran is barred from seeking compassionate release himself. He has two options to get out of prison: death or persuading President Joe Biden to grant him clemency.
Montalvo is one of more than 7,000 federal inmates asking Biden to use this power to release them from prison before the end of his term.
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