Rachel Powell, a Pennsylvania woman convicted for her violent role in the January 6th Capitol riot in 2021, posted a moody-lit photo on X yesterday complaining about the onerous prison sentence she’d been handed for the crimes.
“I, a mom & grandmother with no criminal history, have lived like this since #j6,” Powell said in the post, which shows her sitting shoeless in front of a window looking pensive with sunlight spilling onto her face.
“The box on my ankle holding me INSIDE the house, unable to live. In 13 days the government will force me to endure a 51 month sentence because the last 3 years of confinement means nothing.”
Prosecutors had asked for an 8-year prison sentence against Powell, who was convicted of destruction of government property, entering a restricted area with a weapon, engaging in violence on Capitol grounds, and obstruction of official proceedings, as well as 5 additional felony charges, reported WITF.
“Let it be clear that the United States Government holds people in confinement and no representatives or judicial branch cares,” Powell continued in another tweet. “There is no time limit to how long they can hold a person like this. This is not America. The Constitution is dead. What are you going to do about it?”
Powell’s posts rubbed X users the wrong way, who noted that she’d admitted to the crimes she was prosecuted for, and had used an ice pick to break into the Capitol building.
“I bet you being a grandmother and mother were NOT going through your mind at this very moment,” wrote @Juanacondaa above a photo showing Powell with her infamous icepick.
“I was on the violent side of the building; I was on the west side. I was obviously irrational. I did break a window,” Powell admitted on Steve Bannon’s War Room show in October before she was sentenced, reported WITF.
“I didn’t go deep into the building, I didn’t go onto the Senate floor, I didn’t go into anybody’s offices,” she argued. “I don’t understand why they’re asking for as much as they are. It doesn’t make any sense to me because it was a mistake, and I’m sorry, and I wish I could pay for it or do something, do anything, but eight years to destroy my family for, in my opinion what should be a misdemeanor, it’s just insane.”
“Racist white people think laws apply to everyone but them,” commented @Kyla_Lacey on X.
Others pointed out the hypocrisy of championing the cause of rights for pre-trial detainees from a support of tough-on-crime Donald Trump.
“It’s nice to see the right suddenly concerned about lengthy pre-trial detention,” posted @mcdowell_is. “70% of the inmates at Rikers Island have not yet been convicted of the crimes with which they are charged. Will you advocate for those fellow inmates now or the elimination of cash bail?”
