On 25 August 2020, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Grant of Clemency (Full Pardon) for Jon Ponder, who had been serving a 63-month sentence for several robberies. Ponder, who is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hope for Prisoners, Inc. turned into a Christian in prison and dedicated his life to helping other prisoners.
President Trump pardoned the felony, who robbed the bank in Nevada before the Republican National Convention entered its second night. The White House announced the pardon for the guilty in a seven-minute-long video, where Trump cited Ponder's life 'a beautiful testament to the power of redemption.'
Trump further added:
"We believe that God makes each person for a purpose.' 'I will continue to give all Americans, including former inmates, the best chance to build a new life and achieve their American dream, and a great American dream it is."
Jon Ponder and Donald Trump (©: nytimes.com)
Jon Ponder first met President Trump back in 2018. He was invited to the Rose Garden ceremony for a National Day of Prayer, where Richard Beasley, a retired F.B.I. Agent who arrested Mr. Ponder accompanied him.
At the time, Trump mentioned Mr. Ponder's commitment to Christianity and his friendship with Mr. Beasley.
Jon Ponder Is The Founder Of 'Hope For Prisoners'
Hope for Prisoners was first initiated by Jon Ponders, who turned into a Christian and dedicated his life to helping other prisoners. Also, it was the start of Ponder's life transformation.
Hope for Prisoners is a re-entry program that assists their inmates to reunite with their families, reenter the workforce, and rejoin the community. It also provides the inmates with the required skills to cope up outside the prison. There are provisions of professional development, character education, leadership skills, financial literacy, technology training, and other life skills.
Hope for Prisoners works with a partnership with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and has served thousands of formerly incarcerated persons in the Las Vegas area.
Jon Ponder is actively involved in Hope for Prisoners for years now, helping many of the inmates to live their life peacefully outside the prison.
What Did Jon Ponder Do?
Jon Ponder grew up in New York and got involved in gangs and drug addiction since the young age of twelve.
Later, he spent his 25 years of life in and out of prison. Eventually, he landed himself into federal prison following a drug and alcohol-induced bank robbery in Nevada.
He got sentenced to five years, although he faced up to 23 years in federal prison.