Jermaine Carpenter was sentenced to a mandatory minimum for selling crack cocaine in a drug free school zone, not to kids or on school ground. He was sentenced to 25 years due to it taking place in a drug free school zone. This means he has to serve at least that long before being released - no good time or reductions allowed. He had a childhood that would have lead many others into a life of crimes far worse then himself. Most of his family were drug addicts who were in and out of incarceration. Jermaine was a star athlete at DB High School in Kingsport TN. He made a few poor decisions before this arrest again a victim of his circumstances and experiences from early childhood. If he had received a better hand a life he could have been in the NFL but this was the life he was dealt. Jermaine Carpenter deserves another chance! He was 25 when sentenced to 25 years with time from prior convictions tact on increasing the time by 20+ years for prior convictions. He denies none of what he did, he actually admits to being wrong for doing it. We are called to forgive God grants us more chances than we deserve and Jermaine deserves the ability to have that since he is a reformed man. Retro activation of TN Bills HB2517 & SB2734, if passed, would help to set this man free from his past and give him a chance to be a positive male role model he never had growing up.