On April 23, 2024, Virginia Attorney John Kiyonaga — in conjunction with Colorado counsel, G. Aaron Suazo, Esq. — submitted a letter to Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, requesting assistance in granting executive clemency for Virginia inmate Jennifer Reba Edwards, also known as Jennifer Emmi.
Ms. Emmi has completed one-third of her ten-year sentence, which means she is eligible for executive clemency. Her attorneys submitted this request due to Ms. Emmi’s poor medical treatment and life-threatening conditions behind bars. Jennifer was originally in a Colorado facility but was abruptly transferred to a Virginia women’s prison following her reported sexual assault by a Colorado guard at Denver Women’s Correctional Facility.
At the time of Ms. Emmi's transfer, she was suffering a variety of serious medical conditions, including Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome, Unclassified Connective Tissue Disease, Lupus, and Hypercoagulation defects. These conditions appear to have dramatically worsened during her tenure at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women (FCCW) — a facility with a documented history of rendering constitutionally deficient medical care to inmates. FCCW staff appear to have manipulated her medical records to misrepresent Ms. Emmi's responses to the treatment offered by the facility. According to Kiyonaga’s letter, Jennifer is “in imminent danger of a catastrophic health collapse” and cannot receive proper medical treatment behind bars.
It is ultimately under Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ discretion to commute Jennifer’s sentence and get the medical care she needs. Mr. Kiyonaga’s letter pleads for the Virginia Attorney General’s assistance with this effort. It has been more than a month since the letter was sent and we have not heard anything from AG Jason Miyares. His support is critical to saving Jennifer's life.
Want to help Jennifer Reba Edwards Emmi? Contact Jason Miyares and demand he assist with the effort to free Jennifer and get her the medical care she needs. Contact him here: https://jasonmiyares.com/