Dr. Mutulu Shakur has finally been granted parole, according to The Intercept. Shakur was diagnosed with terminal bone marrow cancer in May by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, but he was repeatedly denied a compassionate release despite being given only six months to live.
The decision was announced on Nov. 10. Jomo Muhammad is an organizer with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement said he is excited for Shakur to be reunited with his family.
“There are a lot of tears of joy,” said Muhammad. “There’s still disbelief because we were steadying ourselves for another denial. Now folks are excited about being able to reunite Mutulu with his family. We were crying together. It’s a long time overdue.”
— Dr. Mutulu Shakur (@FreeDrMShakur) November 11, 2022
Shakur helped to create the first acupuncture detoxification program in the country and is also known as the stepfather of the late rapper Tupac Shakur. Shakur was convicted of racketeering and conspiracy for his involvement in a 1981 armored truck robbery where two police officers died. He was also convicted for aiding in Assata Shakur‘s escape from prison in 1979. He was a model prisoner during his 36 years behind bars and was a positive influence on other prisoners.
The family applied for an emergency compassionate release on June 19 after learning Shakur only weighed 125 pounds and could not get out of bed. He was described by the prison staff at the hospital inside FMC Lexington as “confused” and “unintelligible.”
According to The Intercept, the federal parole commission is finally following its own parole guidelines and is not releasing Shakur due to compassion. The outlet claims that it wasn’t until Shakur’s decline that he was deemed eligible for parole, despite the fact that has been eligible for parole for years.
“We now find your medical condition renders you so infirm of mind and body that you are no longer physically capable of committing any Federal, State or local crime,” said the parole commission.
One of his attorneys, Brad Thomson, said that it was tragic that the 72-year-old’s release has taken so long.
“It is tragic that it took until he was on the verge of death for that truth to finally be realized,” he said. “Mutulu will now be able to live out his final days, surrounded by the love and care of his family and close friends.”
Shakur’s release date is Dec. 16.