Pat Nolan is the director of the American Conservative Union Foundation’s Center for Criminal Justice Reform. Previously, he served for 15 years in the California State Assembly, and was Assembly Republican Leader for four years. He was a leader on behalf of victims’ rights and was awarded the “Victims Advocate Award” by Parents of Murdered Children. Nolan was targeted by the FBI in the same manner they are using today against conservative leaders. Despite his innocence he faced mandatory minimum sentences that would have sent him away from his small children for 21 years. Instead he opted to plead guilty to one count, and served 29 months in federal custody. Pat was instrumental in the passage of several major prison reform bills including the Prisons Rape Elimination Act, the Second Chance Act, and the Fair Sentencing Act. He is an ardent opponent of abuse of civil asset forfeiture and overcriminalization.