From Lost Decades to a Second Chance: Danielle Metz Shares Her Story of Resilience After Clemency

It’s hard for anyone to imagine what life behind bars would be like for just a few hours. 

Now, think about what that would be like for 23 years. That’s a small part of Danielle Metz’s triumphant story. 

Metz spent a little over two decades in a Louisiana federal prison for a nonviolent offense after her ex-husband’s drug ring took over the city of New Orleans. She was arrested in 1993 at just 25 years old. Barely having as little as a traffic ticket, she thought her involvement in her husband’s narcotics deals was minimal – especially since law enforcement found no drugs on her. 

However, federal agents charged her under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, also known as RICO, which carried an automatic life sentence without parole. Metz was sentenced to three life sentences plus an additional 20 years in federal prison. 

In 2015, former U.S. President Barack Obama began granting clemency to individuals who had been sentenced for nonviolent drug offenses. However, despite not seeing her name on the list several times, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana wrote to the Department of Justice stating that Metz should no longer be in prison. 

Eventually, she was granted clemency and received her second chance. Her story gained significant media attention, and after earning her college degree, Metz decided to help others and fight against the criminal justice system. 

Nearly ten years after her release, the mother of two, who was once incarcerated, shares her complete story in a docu-series titled “Commuted.” During her conversation with the Buckeye Review, Metz discussed her journey to making the Dean’s list, her complicated relationship with the city of New Orleans, reconnecting with her adult child, and navigating back into society while starting over again.