For 27 years, William Allen has been in prison, convicted of a crime that almost everyone involved agrees he did not commit. Allen was convicted of being present for a murder, even though his co-conspirator committed the murder during a burglary. That man has been out of prison for more than a decade after taking a plea deal, while Allen tried to fight his case in court.
Now, Patriots player Devin McCourty is advocating for a commutation of Allen’s sentence from Governor Charlie Baker. He joined Jim Braude on Greater Boston to discuss.
“Being able to right that wrong is why clemency exists,” McCourty said.
Through virtual calls, McCourty has gotten to know Allen this year, and Allen has told him that when he’s released, he wants to dedicate himself to mentoring younger generations.
“He has so much to give to society and our to community. We have a man who has been locked away for 27 years and all he’s done while being inside is help others,” McCourty said. “Those are the types of people we need out in the community making a difference right now.”
The Patriots players and coaches hold weekly social justice meetings, where they educate each other on issues and talk about what they can do to help. McCourty said that he brought Allen’s case to a recent meeting, and some of his teammates and coaches signed the letter to the governor in support of Allen.
“Over the last couple of years, our team has gone from not really being aware, to fully being involved and now being a part of the difference and making changes,” he said.
WATCH: Patriots’ Devin McCourty Wants The Governor To Commute A Brockton Man’s Life Sentence
