Michelle West's Life Sentence Has Been Commuted — Here's What Led to Her Imprisonment

On Jan. 19, 2025, as President Biden concluded his historic term in office, he used his clemency power to pardon five individuals and commute the sentences of two others. Among those granted sentence commutations is Michelle West, whose sentence will expire in February 2025.

For those unfamiliar with her case, Michelle West is currently serving a life sentence for crimes she committed between 1987 and 1993. Here's a detailed look at her story and the events that led to her imprisonment.

In 1994, Michelle West was handed an astonishingly harsh sentence: Two life terms plus 50 years — effectively a death sentence behind bars — for her involvement in a number of drug-related crimes in southeast Michigan.

West was charged with drug conspiracy, money laundering, and aiding and abetting a murder connected to the drug trade. As for the individual who committed the murder, they were granted immunity and served only 15 months in prison.

She had no criminal history prior to her federal conviction. As a first-time offender, she had no record of violent or criminal behavior but was caught up in a large and complex federal investigation that led to her conviction.

Federal public defender Amanda Bashi said via Michigan Public that West was not the mastermind or instigator of the drug network or its violent acts. Instead, she emphasized that West's involvement was peripheral, as she was simply linked to individuals directly responsible for the violent drug crimes occurring in Detroit at the time.

Despite this, West was convicted for her role in those crimes: "Michelle's case absolutely is a warning about the perils and problems of a mandatory sentencing scheme," Bashi said.

As his historic presidency came to a close, Joe Biden granted clemency to Michelle West, commuting her life sentence after decades of incarceration. In his message accompanying the commutation, President Biden praised West for her "extraordinary rehabilitation and personal transformation."

"America is a country built on the promise of second chances," President Biden wrote, pointing out that West's clemency petition had garnered significant support from a range of groups, including civil rights organizations, women's rights advocates, former fellow inmates, and lawmakers.

In fact, West's case has garnered support from various organizations, including the National Council of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, the Battered Women's Justice Project, and Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM). U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, along with other lawmakers and advocates, has also been a vocal champion for her release.

In his statement, President Biden also noted that West's supporters view her as a model of redemption, emphasizing her three decades of rehabilitation: "Supporters describe Ms. West as a role model who has built a 31-year record of rehabilitation and redemption," he stated.

Michelle West's sentence will officially end in February 2025. According to her federal public defender, Amanda Bashi, West is expected to be released within the next 30 days. Bashi added that West plans to live with her daughter following her release.