The Gary Project exists to pursue clemency for Gary Farrington, to use his case to illuminate the failure of Florida's parole system, and to demonstrate publicly that faith-driven rehabilitation is real, measurable, and worth recognizing in law. Florida's law currently gives the rare person who has truly transformed no way to be heard. Gary is how we start that conversation.
The Gary Project is two things at once. It is a structured, evidence-driven effort to bring one man home — and it is the entry point to a much larger conversation about how Florida treats the life-sentenced population.
Everything we do flows from the primary goal: clemency for Gary. Everything downstream of that, the documentary, the advocacy, the coalition, exists to make his case unavoidable and, if it succeeds, to leave behind a mechanism the few who have done the same work can use.
Commutation of sentence through the Florida Executive Clemency Board. Primary goal. Driver of all other work.
Use Gary's case to illuminate that Florida is one of only seven states with no functional parole pathway for lifers — and build the case for reform.
The Gary Project is funded by friends, family, major donors, church networks, and grants. Those funds do specific work:
Documentary and content production, strategic amplification, earned-media outreach — so Gary's case is unavoidable in Florida and nationally.
The evidence base for a narrow legislative fix: case studies, research on Florida's parole policy, and the political argument for a review mechanism with strict qualifying criteria.
Travel, relationship-building, access to the rooms where clemency decisions happen. These conversations happen in person or they do not happen.
Partner with faith communities, reentry organizations, and youth-mentorship ministries carrying Gary's case and the review mechanism it argues for.
If clemency is granted, provide housing, a reentry program, transportation, and accountability.
Whatever the outcome for Gary, sustained advocacy for a review mechanism narrow enough to hear only those whose records, like his, prove they have changed.