Dear Friends and Dedicated Advocates,

Our movement thrives on collective action, and today we need your digital presence to make a real-world impact.

We are fighting for Efrén Paredes Jr., who has spent 70 percent of his life behind bars for a 1989 crime he faced at just 15 years old. Today, Efrén is a 53-year-old journalist, social justice changemaker, and undergraduate student in his senior year pursuing a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree through the Western Michigan University Higher Education for the Justice-Involved (HEJI) program, where he is majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies. His life shows the undeniable truth of human growth and transformation. Yet, he remains the last remaining person in his Michigan age group whose childhood death-in-prison sentence is still uncorrected.

The next 30 days are critical for Efrén’s efforts to obtain a commutation of sentence. During that time, Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s team will be reviewing the Parole Board’s recommendation regarding Efrén’s application for commutation of sentence. The Governor can issue a final decision about Efrén’s freedom and future any time between now and December 31, 2026. With only weeks remaining in her term in office, we cannot underscore enough the urgency of this moment.

We urge every person or organization who supports Efrén’s commutation of sentence to pin this Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) digital action link to the top of your Instagram and/or Facebook page(s) for the next 30 days: https://amnesty.quorum.us/campaign/158629/

The AIUSA user-friendly digital action link allows *Michigan residents* to instantly email Governor Whitmer, urging her to use her executive clemency power to grant Efrén a term-of-years sentence and a true path to freedom. Every signature reminds the Governor that the community believes in second chances and supports Efrén’s request for mercy. Algorithms constantly bury standard social media posts which can sink into the timeline and vanish within hours. A pinned post remains at the top of your page until you remove it. It is the first thing people see, demanding attention every time someone visits your profile.

Your Instagram/Facebook pages are your personal microphone. Every friend, relative, and co-worker who visits your page will learn about Efrén’s story. They will learn about his life, growth, the urgent need for justice, and have a chance to add their name and stand with us.

Our legal system must value healing over endless punishment. By pinning this link, you transform your personal social media page into a powerful billboard for human rights and help flood the digital landscape with Efrén’s story. You shatter the silence and force the world to look. Let’s use our collective networks to amplify Efrén’s voice and demand a legal system rooted in mercy, proportionality, and second chances.

We hold the collective power to build a wave of compassion that ripples all the way to the state capitol. Let’s use our chorus of voices for fairness, mercy, and basic decency to remind Governor Whitmer that we need her help. Pin the AIUSA digital action link today and help bring Efrén home after spending nearly four decades caged behind bars.

In Solidarity,

The Injustice Must End (TIME)
Committee to Free Efrén Paredes Jr.
https://fb.com/Free.Efren
https://EfrensWords.home.blog


NEED HELP PINNING A POST ON FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM?

HOW TO PIN A POST TO FACEBOOK

1. Post AIUSA link: Post the link to the AIUSA digital action to your Facebook page: https://amnesty.quorum.us/campaign/158629/

2. Select the post to pin: Scroll down your page until you find the AIUSA digital action link you posted.

3. Open the post settings: Look at the top right corner of your post. You will see three small dots (“…”). Click or tap on the three dots.

4. Pin the post: From the drop-down menu that appears, select “Pin post” (or “Pin to top of page” if you are managing a community group or business page).

The page will refresh, and your chosen post will now sit at the top of your timeline with a “Pinned Post” label above it. To remove it later, simply tap the three dots again and choose “Unpin post”.


HOW TO PIN A POST ON INSTAGRAM

1. Post AIUSA link: Post the link to the AIUSA digital action to your Instagram page: https://amnesty.quorum.us/campaign/158629/

2. Select the post to pin: Scroll down your page until you find the AIUSA digital action link you posted.

3. Open the options menu: Look at the top right corner of your post. You will see three small dots (“…”). Click or tap on the three dots.

4. Pin the post: A menu will pop up from the bottom of your screen. Tap the option that says “Pin to your profile”.

Once you do this, a small thumbtack icon will appear on the post, and it will jump to the very front of your grid. When you want to change it, just follow the same steps and select “Unpin from profile”.