He was freed with the help of the judge who sentenced him. Now he’s fighting for prison reform For nearly a decade, Chris Young was told the only way he’d ever leave federal prison is with his death certificate. Handed two life sentences without the possibility of parole after his conviction in a federal drug conspiracy case, Young’s only real shot at freedom would have to be a rare presidential pardon. That rare shot became a reality January 20, when Young, now 32, was granted executive clemency In the final hours of Donald Trump’s presidency. Getting off his flight back home to Tennessee, Young had a long embrace with an unlikely supporter and someone he hadn’t seen since the day he was sentenced — the judge who ordered him to serve life behind bars.