Recent News

A BROKEN SYSTEM THAT CAUSED ONE WOMAN'S NIGHTMARE

This is Carmen’s Story

For the past five years, Carmen R. Johnson, Ph.D., has been fighting for exoneration by judges and the courts. She has gone all the way to the Supreme Court with no remedy and she is now back in the appellate court, continuing to seek justice as of August 24, 2020. Carmen stated, “Even though I am still fighting in their courts, I do not see a remedy for me. I understand the difference between exoneration and a pardon. Based on Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution, I am asking the President to look into my case and grant me a full pardon. Only the courts can decide to exonerate me and I have no faith in that system. I am not asking for forgiveness, however, I am asking the President of the United States for justice, by way of a full pardon.”

For over twenty years, Carmen had been a successful businesswoman in Maryland. She ran a for-profit business that offered credit restoration, debt negotiations, household budgeting, preparation for bankruptcy and did loans by paying off people’s debts. She reported these loans and services to the credit agencies. The non-profit taught financial literacy to the youth. She sat on countless organization boards. With one role as housing chair of the Maryland State Conference, NAACP. Carmen was investigating foreclosures that ravaged through the black community after the financial crisis of 2009. In her campaigns, she requested a moratorium on those illegal foreclosures and she even drafted bills involving lost notes. She received countless phone calls from power brokers in Maryland to stop this narrative. She was ordered to announce publicly that there were no illegal foreclosures in Maryland and she refused.

READ MORE

Recent Appellate Brief

August 24th, 2020
A detailed accounting of what happened to Carmen. Unfortunately, this could happen to anyone.
READ MORE
Carmen's harrowing three+ year experience in a women's detention facility
READ MORE
With a presidential pardon, Carmen hopes to help women in similar situations
READ MORE

Helping Ourselves to Transform

Carmen R. Johnson, Ph.D.

With the new non-profit and despite Dr. Johnson’s understandably post-traumatic state, her family and friends have partnered with her to create a hub called “Helping Ourselves to Transform“. This hub is where people can come to get their needs met by being referred out to other grass-roots organizations. The experience, guidance, and understanding that Carmen has will help to make this a meaningful effort for all involved.

When Carmen came home, she was not able to get the help that she needed. She was considered overqualified in some cases and not worthy of the services that she needed. Many organizations did not know what to do with Carmen because one size did not fit all. In this new non-profit, Carmen vows to never say “no” or “I don’t know” to members and returning citizens. We want to be able to mentor them based on their needs. The intention is to provide assistance and follow-up with our staff. 

The main mission of “Helping Ourselves to Transform” is to promote education within the community on mass incarceration, wrongfully-convicted citizens, and to help draft new prison and justice reform bills and address draconian bills.