Last year Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee did something during his first term that his two predecessors put off until the end of their time in office—he used the power of executive clemency.
Among three individuals who had their prison sentences reduced by Lee is Charles Hall, a 73-year-old Shelby County man, serving two life sentences at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, two hours north of Memphis.
Hall’s commutation made him eligible for parole, and last week the state’s Board of Parole voted to approve his release. WKNO visited Halllast month as he prepared to ask the seven-member board for a fresh start.
The Correctional Complex’s warden, Kevin Genovese, says Hall was excited but overwhelmed by the latest news.
“I just keep explaining to him, it’s one step at a time,” Genovese said. “You’re in a good spot, and the hard stuff is out of the way. It’s all downhill from here.”
In order to now exit prison, Hall will need to submit an approved plan for his next steps. That could still take several more weeks or longer, Genovese says because Hall hasn’t finalized whether he’ll stay with family or at a halfway house as he transitions to freedom.
With a criminal record of theft dating back to his teens, Hall has spent decades serving time.
Sentenced under Tennessee’s so-called three-strikes law for repeat offenders, Hall’s 2005 conviction for two armed robberies should have kept him in prison for the rest of his life. But he was determined not to die behind bars so he petitioned for clemency, citing sincere contrition for his crimes and a demonstrated commitment to self-improvement and helping others.
Hall earned a reputation during his incarceration for relating to younger inmates and encouraging them to make better choices.
Those closest to Hall supported giving him another chance, including 112 prison personnel and officers who signed a letter to the governor asking for clemency on his behalf.
“He is a perfect example of someone who didn’t come in here and just give up,” Genovese said. “He did his programs–what he needed to do. He treats other human beings like human beings. He even mentored younger inmates to try to get them on the right track.”
In a previous interview before his parole hearing, Hall said he was most looking forward to quiet pleasures like fishing.
“Just to be able to just sit out there in the grass or dig up a worm or something like that,” he said. “These are privileges and stuff that you don’t miss them until you lose them.”
