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A Hennepin County judge adjusted Jerome Nunn’s life sentence to time served after the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office requested his resentencing in the first use of Prosecutor-Initiated Sentence Adjustment (PISA) in Minnesota.
“Jerome Nunn stands as an incredible example of a person’s capacity to change,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “Mr. Nunn has proven he will not endanger the public, and he has also shown a deep commitment to actively serving his community through his work helping others find stability as they are released from prison. As prosecutors, we seek justice. When the community is no longer best served by a prison sentence, it is our responsibility to consider adjusting those sentences in a fair and transparent manner.”
In the order granting the resentencing request, Judge Scoggin stated: “Mr. Nunn has demonstrated the last 28 years to have used his time incarcerated in a productive way that demonstrates his growth and impact on others. Mr. Nunn’s continued incarceration no longer serves the interest of justice or public safety.”
Mr. Nunn entered prison nearly 30 years ago for his role in the murder of Abduel Poe. He was 19 years old and had a fifth-grade education.
For the past decade, Mr. Poe’s mother, Danielle Jones, has been a vocal advocate for Mr. Nunn’s release.
While in prison, Mr. Nunn transformed himself, earning his GED along with three associate degrees and a paralegal certificate. In 2023, the Department of Corrections granted Mr. Nunn work release, and he got a job at EMERGE Community Development assisting others with criminal records to find jobs and re-enter their communities successfully.
In recognition of Mr. Nunn’s successful rehabilitation and his commitment to serving the community he harmed 30 years ago, the HCAO petitioned a judge in October to adjust his sentence to time served. Danielle Jones supported this petition.
As Judge Scoggin explains in his order: “PISA acknowledges that circumstances evolve over time, and some incarcerated individuals may no longer post a threat to public safety or serve the interests of justice by remaining in prison.”
The ultimate decision lies with the court.
ABOUT PROSECUTOR-INITIATED SENTENCE ADJUSTMENT
In February of 2024, the HCAO was the first prosecutor’s office in the state to create a PISA process and start accepting applications. Since that time, the HCAO has reviewed more than 300 applications and worked with the Department of Corrections to set up processes to make applications available to incarcerated individuals and streamline requests for prison records — a key part of the PISA review.
The HCAO is working with lawyers and law students at the University of St. Thomas School of Law to review and process PISA applications. The law school’s PISA team has become a vital partner to the HCAO in this work and includes Professor Julie Jonas, attorneys Monique Salvetti and Piper Wold, and coordinator Taylor Praus-Singh.
Learn more or apply for PISA review here.
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Look for more news on the Hennepin County Attorney's Office website.
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