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Alexis Sutton of New Haven pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug offense and was sentenced to 48 months of probation in 2014.
Since then, the White House has said that Sutton has taken classes to earn her nursing degree and is hoping to become a registered nurse.
According to the White House, she is an active participant in her church, and colleagues, friends, and neighbors describe her as resilient, reliable, caring, hard-working, and a role model.
They also noted her devotion to her family and her studies.
" America is a nation founded on the promise of second chances. During Second Chance Month, we reaffirm our commitment to rehabilitation and reentry for people returning to their communities post-incarceration, Biden said.
"We also recommit to building a criminal justice system that lives up to those ideals and ensures everyone receives equal justice under the law. That is why today I am announcing steps I am taking to make this promise a reality."
According to the US Attorney's Office in Connecticut, in the spring of 2011, the DEA Task Force, in conjunction with the New Haven Police Department and the Hamden Police Department, evaluated crime statistics in New Haven and determined that the Dwight/Chapel neighborhood, known as “the Tre,” was one of the sections of the city with the highest number of violent crimes.
Investigators also developed information that there was a large presence of Bloods street gang members in that neighborhood, and much of the violence there stemmed from gang-related drug trafficking.
Sutton, 21 at the time, was one of 61 people arrested during the sweep.
She was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin.
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